Iron Fate
by RockRoy
Summary: The Seven are pushed into another prophecy at the hands of The Fates to warn them about a new enemy, an old foe with a grudge. When a certain demigod suffers personal loses and tragedy, he pushes back with dire consequences for the entire demigod community. Rated T for safety. Main roles are for my OC but the Seven as well.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Hi, I've returned to present you a new story. This story takes place three years after Aces High and can be seen as a stand-alone sequel to that story. I will try to keep the references to the story to a minimum, but if you feel like it you can always check it out** **. Besides Sam this story will feature the original characters in a more prominent role. I appreciate any constructive feedback on their portrayal as I am better at writing my OC's.**

 **This story will be seperated into several story arcs. The first arc will deal with the introduction of the main plot and characters and set the foundation for the rest of the story. Each arc will be around four to five chapters and 10K words long.**

* * *

 **Chapter 1: Fourth Horseman**

Sam stuffed his fresh orange camp shirts in his duffel bag. He had laid out all of his things on his bed to make it easier to remember what he still had to bring along. Because his adoptive parents worked during the day, he would only be able to get a lift later on the day which meant he might miss dinner at camp. Sam picked up two journals and placed them in the bag. At that moment Sarah Parker walked in the room and grinned.

'Aren't you forgetting something?' asked the eleven-year old legacy with a sly smile as she held up a plastic bag filled with lotion bottles and gel pads.

'For crying out loud, Sarah, I've been looking everywhere for those,' he said as he snatched them from her fingers.

She laughed as she took a seat on Sam's bed. She helped him to get the final items (among others a reinforced cloak) in his bag before closing it.

The two siblings walked back downstairs and watched a show while Sarah pulled out a sketchpad and a black pencil.

'Are you excited for Camp Jupiter next year?'

Sarah shrugged. 'I don't know, mom and dad tell me that it isn't all that bad, but I liked Camp Half Blood when we visited three years ago.' She stared at him as she continued to sketch.

'It can't be that bad. You've got mom and dad to write you those letters, you're the sister to a living legend, so nobody will bother you.'

'That's the problem Sam,' she replied. 'You're Sam, the killer of Pandora and saviour of Spes, your reputation is bound to be influential and I don't like it.'

'You could always renounce me as your brother, the stupid Greek kid who gets into far too much trouble,' he replied with a grin.

Sarah rolled her eyes and threw the sharp pencil at his head. Sam managed to avoid it, but stared at her with a shocked expression.

'You crazy? That could've cost me an eye.'

'It would be an improvement, especially if it took out the left one, because then you'd be all right.' She gave him a thumbs up as she laughed.

'That's not funny,' Sam replied as he hit her on the head with a pillow. Sarah laughed even harder. She jumped onto Sam as he tried to fend her off. They only got interrupted by Anne-Marie Parker who walked into the living room holding a brown envelope bearing the logo of his school.

'You're so screwed,' said Sarah as their mother opened it.

* * *

'Seems like your grades went up a bit, but nothing spectacular,' said Anne-Marie. 'A B+ in art class, while you've never really had such grades in the past.' The daughter of Apollo stared at the siblings who were sitting opposite of each other at the dining table. 'I take it Sarah helped?'

Sam nodded. 'Although only after I showed her the initial work.'

'Hmm,' interjected Anne-Marie. 'C+ in science and C- in English, D's in the others. Lou's help?'

'And Charlotte's, she's really good with English.' Sam stared at the table as his foster mom dropped the report card.

'I will have to mention it to Suzan when we get to camp.'

Sam only sighed.

'And you miss,' she said as she turned to her daughter. 'Shouldn't smile. Your report card came in yesterday and it isn't all that great either, an F in History? You know you can always ask us if you need help?'

'But it's history! It's boring, I want to learn about the Romans not about the pioneers. I did get good grades in social studies.'

'Yes you did, but that F is inexcusable. No dessert for a week and we'll be doing some studying over the summer before you head to summer school in august.'

'That's unfair,' cried Sarah as she stormed out of the room.

Anne-Marie sighed. 'There are days where I can't wait for Lupa to send the message. You dad agrees, but he's more hesitant. Can't blame him, we moved out here because we wanted Sarah to grow up away from New Rome, but as a legacy she has to go.'

'I know that. Why don't you bring her to camp this summer, she can crash at our cabin, learn some archery with Apollo's kids and play with kids her age?'

'I might hold you to that.' She grabbed Sam's hand. 'How about you grab a snack and we get you ready for camp?'

Sam smiled.

* * *

At around seven pm Sam walked across the border on Half Blood Hill sensing the magic when touching the barrier. He repositioned his bag on his shoulder and waved at Peleus the dragon who stared at him from the pine tree. The dragon let out a puff of smoke in response.

He strolled towards the dining pavilion as he hoped to avoid Suzan for another moments before facing her as he had heard Anne give her the good news before they left. Sam walked down the path towards the building that still had light in it with laughs coming from it. He spotted the Athena campers sitting at one of the largest tables. It had been three years since he had walked into Camp Half Blood and since then he had seen more children coming in. Athena had sent six more children to camp with Ares having fathered seven children. Even Tyche had a couple of sons walking around on camp grounds, something he had felt in his wallet as he was no longer unbeatable at card games. More children also meant that the total numbers of summer campers had steadily risen to a respectable 300 across a multitude of cabins.

Sam waved and nodded at several campers before strolling over to the table at which sat his half-siblings. He dropped his duffel bag and stared at the four mages sitting at the table. Mia was the first to rise and give him a hug.

'You made it, we thought you wouldn't show up today,' she said as she released him from her grip.

'There was a bit of chaos before leaving, and I spotted a dracaena while driving here, so I already have a score of 1 on the monster kill list for this summer,' he replied with a grin. 'New haircut?'

Mia smiled as she flung her shoulder length black hair back as her blue eyes shined. 'Yes, it's a bit more practical than long hair or a braid, but these two won't listen to my advice,' said the water mage pointing at her sisters who shrugged.

'Have you eaten?' asked Suzan staring at several papers before her. 'I think Root might still be able to get you something.'

'Yeah, but I'm still hungry.'

Suzan looked up and frowned as Sam took a seat. 'Yeah, you're always hungry.'

'True. Say, how was graduation?' Sam stared at a smiling Ronan who shook his head.

'Fine, I now have an official degree in psychology. Took me five years to get it. Transferring credits from a concealed university in a Roman camp to a real world university isn't that easy. But we're not going to discuss my educational successes,' she finished with a sly smile.

Sam sighed and took out a deck of cards to play with. It had become a habit after he had come back from the Underworld after saying goodbye to his father.

'Can I get you anything?' asked Root as she appeared at the table.

'Cheese and bread will do. Any olives left?'

'This is a Greek camp,' was the reply from the naiad whilst rolling her eyes.

'So, a fraudulent obtained B+ in art class, and D's in math, History and woodworking and C's in English and Science and P.E . So, you haven't officially failed any classes but we had an agreement: at least a C in math.'

Sam wanted to say something but a glare from Suzan and Root bringing him the bread and cheese stopped him. He took a bite off his cheese.

'This means that you lose the bet and you lose the privilege of choosing your extracurricular activities at camp this year. I've taken the liberty to sign you up for arts and crafts, live weapons dummy and archery.'

Sam dropped the food on the plate. 'Please, not archery and live dummy. I'll be a monitor for the little ones this year, anything but archery.'

'I've made my decision, besides Ronan is monitor for the little guys this year because he failed to get at least a D in social studies.'

'What about them?' Sam pointed at Mia and Jade taking another bite.

'They actually did get passing grades. Jade will be graduating next year if she manages to not fail French for which the Aphrodite cabin has offered their help and Mia can graduate if she manages to get a C on almost every subject, which she already did for English.'

'Lucky.'

'Says the mage who has the least dyslexia from all of us, at least you can read plain English. If I hadn't had the Greek translation of my books I would be lost.'

'But still,' moaned Sam.

'Wanna settle this in the ring, see who's the better elemental?'

'Sure, when do you want to go? I can go at it right here, right now.'

The two mages rose and tried staring each other down. This earned them a slap against the back of their heads. Sam turned around and rubbed his scalp.

A girl with short black hair and brown eyes stared at him. Her eyes were angry, storm-like. She wore the traditional camp outfit of the orange shirt and jeans. Cali Mayweather crossed her arms and waited.

'Gee, nice to see you to Caliope.'

She stomped him on the shoulder. 'That's for not writing me during the year and that,' she stomped him again. 'Is for not saying hi when someone says hello, jerk.'

'You know I've been busy and I did write. At Christmas! And the dyslexia makes it hard to write.'

'Liar,' said Jade from the table. Sam gave her a look.

Sam picked up the cards and shuffled them in his hands. He spread them out and held it out for Cali to pick one. She picked one. The three of hearts. Sam reshuffled the deck and tapped it.

'It's the six of clubs.'

'Wrong,' the niece of Poseidon said as she revealed her card.

'It is the six of clubs,' said Ronan.

Cali flipped it and it was indeed the six of clubs with the words "I'm sorry" written across it. She squinted at Sam. 'You get away this time, but I'll be waiting for my time with the dummy. Mom gave me a new shield for my birthday.' She turned around and stalked out of the pavilion. She had kept the card.

Sam sat back down and continued to eat while his siblings tried not to smile. It wasn't every day that you'd see your brother's ex-girlfriend promising to kick his ass.

* * *

She walked down the streets. Unfamiliar buildings surrounded her and laughs had her spooked. Her breathing became more ragged as she continued to find her way out of this maze of streets. Her feet hurt as hell, but she was wearing sneakers so that could be the problem.

People turned around a corner and walked towards. They were dressed like Roman legionnaires, but they didn't seem to notice her as they laughingly walked past her clapping each other on the back.

'Annabeth, are you okay?' asked a girl dressed in the armour bearing a wolf.

She turned to the girl and stared at her. The girl seemed familiar. She felt the knife in her pocket. Annabeth, yes that was her name. Annabeth Chase, Architect of Olympus.

'Yes, I'm fine. Just a bit tired. Go and have fun with your friends. I'm going to bed.'

'Alright, goodnight.'

The girl joined her friends and together they disappeared into one of the bars of the city.

Annabeth continued wandering through the city until she found herself on a square with a silent fountain. She walked over and stared at her faint reflection in the calm water. She was wearing a purple T-shirt and she had a blonde ponytail. Her eyes were sea green of colour.

'Chase, what are you doing here?' said a familiar voice.

Another girl dressed in armour walked up to her. But this one was wearing a cloak on top of her armour. At her side stood a silver coloured dog. The young woman was staring at her.

'Are you alright?' the girl asked.

'Yeah, Reyna,' said Annabeth. The words had rolled of her tongue. 'I'm just admiring this fountain.'

'That thing has been broken for years, why would you want to look at that?'

'Because I felt like it,' said Annabeth defensively. Her hand went to her knife. She felt an urge to stick it in that girl. Before she could act, Reyna had grabbed her arm forcing her to release the blade.

'You're not feeling right, are you?'

Suddenly Annabeth collapsed on the stone floor.

* * *

The next few days Sam spent adjusting to the camp life. He had visited George at the forges who told him that the Hephaestus cabin was working on something big. The son of the blacksmith had offered to take a look at his axes after a year of non-use. Sam had thanked his friend and had left him hammering on a large piece of metal. Sam was strolling through camp while practicing his sleight of hand with dice.

The camp had continued on the major revisions and construction of major buildings for the New Athens project. This project was one of Annabeth's Chase babies as she was tasked with planning and overseeing the expansions to camp. These included a larger lyceum building which included a library; a marketplace, a residential area for older demigods who wanted to spend their lives living well protected and a hospital.

The last one had been finished last year. It was a small hospital, but had everything it could need. Most of the people working there were children and legacies of Apollo, but Sam knew that Aria and Calypso also worked their when they were at camp. Harley and Will were named medical directors, yet Harley still worked the wards while a child of Athena did the logistics with a daughter of Hermes.

Sam strolled into the hospital and walked over to the desk where a nymph was sitting. She smiled. The nymph wore a blue tunic which had a nametag pinned to it: Pagae.

'Hi Pagae, do you know where I can find Harley or Jess?'

'Jess should be at the trauma centre, Harley is on ward 2. Follow the yellow line for Jess, blue for the wards.' She handed him a badge that said Visitor. Sam nodded and followed the blue line to the wards.

Sam took the elevator to the fourth floor and turned to the right. There he stood before the door of ward two, his ward. Ward 2 was a specialised ward in the hospital for the regulars, a euphemism for campers who had their own beds in the ward. Shouts came from the inside. Sam grinned and walked in. Besides a small office for the on call medics, the ward only had one large room and three single ones. Sam strolled over to the door of the main room and opened it.

The room had four beds in it. Two of them were occupied, whilst a third person sat on his bed with a grin. Standing beside a girls bed, stood Harley, the oldest medic that the camp had. She had grown up without ever knowing who her father was, but she had a knack for medical sciences. She enrolled into medical school and became a general surgeon. It wasn't until after the war with Gaea that she had been contacted by Chiron to become a camp doctor.

'Just give me some nectar and I'll be out of here by the end of the week,' said Cate, the sixteen-year old daughter of Hermes who was known for her elaborate heists and pranks. It was rumoured that the Stollls had trained her.

'No more nectar for you,' said Harley disposing of her latex gloves. 'You'll just lay here until your knee is healed and then Danny will guide you to a full recovery.'

'The Telesphorus-kid? He's barely trained.'

'And yet he is a son of a medicine-god, so he'll be doing his job. End of discussion.'

Cate huffed as Harley looked up and saw Sam standing in the doorway. 'Oh, great the Fourth Horseman is here. You're not injured are you?'

'I've been here for less than a week without being in the vicinity of weapons, so no,' he replied with a smile.

'Tell that to Damien, what was it? Six hours and you ended up here?'

The son of Nemesis shrugged. 'It was a minor cut.' He was playing with several drachma's.

Harley raised her eyebrows and shook her head.

Sam laughed as he turned to the fourth person in the room. The daughter of Aphrodite, Rain, who laid in bed with two broken legs.

'Hey Rain, how you doin'?'

The fifteen year old gave him a thumbs down and grimaced. She closed her eyes. She balled her hands into fists.

'Harley, Rain isn't feeling well,' said Sam.

'Yes, that's what you get for not eating properly and trying to move around.' The medic walked over to the girl and checked her vitals. 'Try and get some sleep, Rain. I'll give you another shot of morphine later if your still in pain.' The medic stroked the brown curls. 'Guys, out.'

Sam and Damien walked out. Sam said goodbye to Damien as he strolled towards the trauma unit. With no patients in sight he found Jess and several of her siblings sitting around a table in the spare room.

'Hey beautiful,' she called out when she spotted him. Quickly rising from her seat, she walked over and pecked him on the cheek.

'Hey Jess,' he replied to the blonde fifteen year old daughter of Apollo, while he wrapped his arms around her.

'Guys, take it elsewhere, some of us are trying to have lunch.'

Jess flipped her brother off and pulled Sam into an empty exam room. Sam closed the door and watched Jess hopping onto the exam table.

'So, where you here to see me, or Ward 2?'

'The ward,' admitted Sam with a grin. 'I wasn't the first patient of the summer. Damien was. But you'll still be able to come and visit me when I do something stupid.'

'Which you'll do eventually,' replied the girl with a laugh.

Sam shrugged. 'Since Suzan signed me up for dummy duty, I'll be here a lot and you know that there are people who love to spar with me.'

Jess' expression turned darker. 'Cali does love to smack you around, as does Eve, although she might use you as a pincushion instead.'

'No worries, they hold back, because they don't want to get turned into a tree.'

Jess' muttered something before walking over to the desk and picking up a clipboard. She turned around smiling. 'Looks like it is time for your annual physical.'

'Isn't that a conflict of interest, doctor?'

'Not if it's in my best interest,' replied the medic as she closed and locked the door.

* * *

 **Hope you enjoyed it. Please review**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Chapter two is here :) I will update this story about once a week, although I am still trying to find a good update schedule, so it'll be most likely around Thursdays-Fridays or Saturdays for now.**

 **Happy reading, please review. Any constructive feedback is always welcome.**

* * *

 **Chapter 2: Restless Gods**

Sam whimpered as the dream played for his eyes. He was standing at a cliff staring down an fiery river. The place reeked of death and desperation.

'Mother died and now they've gained more success with the entire unification of the demigods. It's time we teach the Olympians about their place in the world,' said a voice.

'True,' replied a rumbling voice.

'The gods will call upon their children. The most powerful ones are united as The Seven, with Perseus being their leader. If we can eliminate them, we should use the shock to our advantage and get rid of the demigods altogether,' said the soothing voice from inside a dark cave.

'I will call upon my children to gather themselves at the gates of Tartarus.'

'Call you sister as well, we could use her. We disable the Seven first then we take the Olympians,' said the female voice. 'I will have my vengeance.'

Suddenly a pair of red eyes stared back from inside the cave and Sam felt a wave of heat coming over him.

Sam shot wide awake being soaked in sweat. He laid back down and drank from a bottle of water. He rubbed his head to try and ease the headache. Pain shot down his thigh.

* * *

It was the second week of camp and it had been announced that Camp Jupiter would visit for two weeks as part of the summer solstice festivities. They would arrive in a couple of days. Sam was to be at the forges at ten, but wanted to talk to Chiron first. He walked towards the Big House wearing his cloak. Chiron and Mister D were playing a card game with Percy Jackson.

Sam waited for a second before walking up the porch of the Blue House. Percy Jackson was a legend among demigods. Sam had heard all the stories about his quests and battles. It was rumoured that Percy was invincible as long as he had Riptide in his hand. Sam watched the three and noticed a tattoo peeking from under Percy's t-shirt.

'Sam, what can we do for you today?' asked Chiron who had assumed his mortal identity of Mr. Brunner, although he had a bit more facial hair than last time Sam saw him. He dealt the cards.

'I've had a dream,' said Sam. 'About someone wanting vengeance against the Olympians.' He took a seat opposite Mister D who was sipping Diet Coke.

'Do tell,' said Mister D with a bored tone. 'It's nothing we've heard before.'

Sam told them the dream as how he had seen it. The memory of the place made him shudder.

'That was Tartarus,' said Percy. 'There are plenty of things down there that want us gone. Fallen gods, monsters, Titans. But you might be on to something.'

'Why?'

'Because I have received a similar dream.'

Percy recounted how he had also heard the voices talk, but they had been distorted as he couldn't exactly tell who they were. They had spoken about the returned being the easier targets as they had crossed the ultimate border. It wouldn't be enough, but a good first attack. He also heard them speak of a certain mother.

'Could it be Sally?' asked Chiron.

'I don't know,' replied Percy. His face became slightly distressed.

'Who is she?' asked Sam.

'My mother,' replied Percy. 'Sally Jackson.'

'Oh,' replied Sam as he touched his prosthetic which had been a gift from Hephaestus and in a perverse way from the Fates as well. 'What do we do now?'

'We will have to ask our sources to see if anything has been different,' replied Chiron. 'Percy, is Annabeth still at Camp Jupiter?'

Percy nodded. 'She'll be travelling with them to camp as she wanted to learn from them on how to build a new city out of nothing.' Percy smiled about that.

'What about those returned?' asked Sam. 'What do they mean by that?'

Chiron shook his head. 'I have no idea my child.'

Suddenly thunder rumbled through the skies and Mister D tensed up, crumpling the cards in his hand. Chiron held his breath as Percy and Sam stared at each other. The god looked at the sky and muttered something before vanishing in a ripple, leaving wine leaves in his place.

'What was that about?'

Chiron sighed as he picked up the crumpled cards. 'Something is brewing and the gods are restless.'

As the conversation fell silent, Sam left Percy and Chiron to discuss the matter among themselves. The words Chiron had spoken echoed through his mind. Restless gods meant something was coming, something big. Sam quickly walked over to Cabin 9 to meet up with George and the Hephaestus campers.

It had taken the Hephaestus quite some time to do it, but they managed to create a pathway from their cabin to Bunker 9 in which they had built their largest weapons to date. This involved catapults, trebuchets and ballistae to defend the camp with. Last time Sam had visited the cabin, they were working on a boat to defend the seaside in case of an attack.

'Sam!' called George as he appeared in the doorway.

Sam waved and walked up to the porch. George had grown over the past years, becoming taller than Sam. His unruly blond hair had been given a buzz cut. His arms had become muscular as well, but that wasn't surprising.

'Glad you could make it.'

'No problem, it got me out of Greek Mythology class. Malcolm is even scarier than Annabeth when it comes to pop quizzes.'

The boys walked into the cabin and Sam spotted the twenty campers hard at work. Swords were being forged as well as shields. Some of the older demigods were forging some different weapons such as a trident and a mace. One of them was fixing up several fire arms. The heat was becoming unbearable.

George led Sam down the winding staircase and guided him to a train track. On the rails stood a cart that was attached to a chain at both sides. One end of the chain disappeared into a tunnel while the other one was attached to a which cemented onto a block of concrete. The cart had four seats and were fitted with a three point belt.

They got in and George pushed on a button. The winch started unwinding while the cart started moving. With a sudden jerk, the cart sped along the track. Sam tried to breathe in, but the air around moved to too fast. George looked at him with a grin. Moments later the cart slowed down and they undid their belts. As they got out, Sam punched George on the shoulder.

'Could've warned me, jerk.'

'And ruin the surprise? No thanks.' George laughed.

Sam turned away and watched several Athena campers walking around on catwalks suspended from the ceiling of Bunker 9, with the remaining Hephaestus campers doing work on their new project.

Bunker 9 was a large hangar with catwalks spanning the entire length and width of the building. Massive chains and pulleys hung from the ceiling. Light fixtures beamed down fluorescent light upon the concrete floor. Large metal objects laid on the side of the central place.

Sam recognized one of them to be a large sword. George continued to walk towards a large metal figure standing in the middle of the hangar. It reminded Sam of an automaton. Sparks flew from its arm when an Hephaestus camper started welding. Getting closer Sam spotted Leo Valdez standing at a table looking at several blue prints with him sat Nyssa.

'I'm telling you Leo, the controls have to be changed. There aren't many of us who can move this thing even with the differentials doing most of the lifting.'

'But how will it look? These things are not exactly manoeuvrable power houses, they are used for intimidation,' replied Leo as he started playing around with a pencil.

'Focus Leo, we need to figure this out before the Romans show up, as we want to wow them. Screw their haughty attitude, we will have mechas!'

'Hi guys,' said George to break the tension. 'Sam's here.'

Sam gave them a small wave. 'Did you say mechas?' He barely concealed the excitement in his voice.

'I did,' replied Nyssa with a grin. The daughter of the blacksmith wiped her brow with a red cloth she then tied around her arm.

'So this is the latest, Big Weaponry project you've been working on?' asked Sam as he stared at the mecha. The machine stood roughly twelve feet tall.

'Yes,' replied Leo. 'It's Nyssa and George's design with some help from dad.'

'And you need my help for some reason.'

Nyssa stared at her siblings before looking at Sam. 'The leg dad gave you might help us with the design for the pilot and how we can get it easier to control.'

'What do you want me to do?'

'We thought you might be a test pilot for that one,' said George pointing at the mecha in front of him. 'If we can trim it down to an easier design, we could make several more by the end of the summer. Even if we couldn't make them into fighting bots, we could use them for the heavy construction around New Athens.'

'You're so on,' said Sam. 'Leo, you'll have to ask Suzan though, 'cause I normally have other things to attend to.'

'Deal.'

'When do we get started?'

* * *

It wasn't until after lunch that both George and Sam got out of cabin 9. For most of the time, the three mechanics had examined his prosthetic leg, with Joanna, an Athena camper taking notes and offering advice. Sam had drawn on a blank piece of paper while imagining himself walking around in the mecha.

'Can we meet up, let's say, at two the day after tomorrow? That'll leave us with some time to design and implement the controls,' said George as the friends had arrived at cabin 20. Sam had to gear up for his live dummy training.

'Sure, I'll square it with whoever it needs squaring with.'

George said goodbye and left him standing on the porch. Sam walked into the cabin and found Suzan and Mia sitting at the large table. Suzan motioned him to come closer.

'How is your magic training going? I haven't seen you try new things lately,' she said doodling in a notebook.

'I was thinking about trying some more advanced enchanting stuff,' said Sam. 'If Mia's up for it, we could practice wind magic together? And if you could help me out with the Mist that'd be cool too.'

'It's your third year at camp, right?' asked Suzan.

'Yeah, but you know that, so why…?'

'She's trying to create a training schedule for all of us,' interrupted Mia with a groan. 'Like we need more scheduling.' She threw several pieces of paper on the table.

'I just want to see that you get better at using magic,' retorted Suzan with a stare.

'Like we all want,' said Mia. 'But do you really need to try and regulate everything? It's like Lou never left. Remember the year he got here?'

'Don't drag me into this, I've got dummy duty in ten, so I'll leave you to it.'

Sam left his sisters bickering as he went to get changed into some armour. Mia did have a point, he thought as he entered his room. Lou and John had left at the end of his second year at camp. John just wanted to take a break from it all, last time he had spoken to John he was on his way to become a fisherman in Alaska. Lou went to live with Charlotte in New Rome. Last he had heard, she was teaching chemistry and magic to their Roman siblings.

He placed a helmet on his head and grabbed the nearest axe before heading back down. Before he left, Sam took another look at the table to see Suzan in deep concentration.

* * *

The son of Hecate walked up to the group of demigods standing in the middle of the arena. It was a sword class. He spotted Mike and Halley standing a bit farther from the group. The Ares siblings were his co-dummies for today.

'Hey, Mike.'

'Sam meet Halley, Halley meet Sam.'

Sam shook hands with the daughter of Ares who had shoulder long hair and wore a full Greek armour.

'So, this is the guy who took a seat on Ares' throne and lived to tell the tale?' Halley smiled.

'Aren't you the daughter of Ares who socked two campers the moment she walked across the border?'

'True.'

'Now class, you'll pair up and engage against a live dummy,' said Percy Jackson with a grin.

The dummies geared up and brandished their weapons. Sam pointed his weapon at the daughter and niece of Poseidon who both showed him new weaponry.


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Chapter 3 is here :) More of The Seven and original characters make an appearance in this chapter. Happy reading.**

 **Please review.**

* * *

 **Chapter 3 Gut The Fish**

The Greek demigods awaited for the pegasus to land. Half the Roman legion was coming to Camp Half Blood for the summer solstice festivities which included their Feast of Fortuna. Chiron had transformed himself into his usual centaur appearance for the occasion.

Sam yawned as he and George had spent the last couple of days learning how to control the mecha. It had angered Nyssa that they hadn't fully finished the robot by this day. They had made progress as Hephaestus' prosthetic leg had given the builders the needed insight on how to make the robot move without exhausting the pilot from the very start, but implementing it was harder to realise.

The pegasus landed gracefully and the rider stepped down. She removed her helmet and let hair braid dangle. Reyna Ramirez smiled at the sight of the Greeks. Percy and Jason broke ranks and greeted their friend. A summer breeze made her purple cloak flutter. Reyna gave Guido to one of the Iris' campers and told them to take care of him.

'Chiron,' greeted Reyna. 'Camp Jupiter was honoured by your request to celebrate the Summer Solstice with the campers of Camp Half Blood.'

'Pleasure is ours, although several campers will be happy to see you,' smiled Chiron.

Reyna nodded. 'The others will arrive in a couple of hours. But there is something I need to discuss with you and Nico.'

'Then we shall discuss it at the Big House. Campers, you can all return to your normal activities. Liam, will you go and find me Nico? I believe him to be at his cabin. Tell him to come to the Big House.'

* * *

Sam saw Reyna and Chiron and let out a breath of relief. He silently thanked the gods for her not saying anything. Despite his Roman adoptive family and him preferring to use a Roman scutum over an aspis, Sam hadn't really been on the best of terms with the Romans. He was a legacy of Janus and after he came back from the Underworld he had offended Rome.

'You dodged a bullet there, bro,' said a familiar voice behind him.

Sam and Suzan turned around to see their eldest brother standing there, clutching a duffel bag. John smiled as they hugged him before Suzan slapped him.

'That's for not IM'ing for over six months,' she hissed. 'I thought you might've died in Alaska.'

John rubbed his face. 'My bad, I lost my pouch with drachma's and it's not as if I can call you guys on a phone in the middle of fishing.

'And you look like a vagrant,' said Suzan hugging him again. 'And smell like one too.'

'The beard looks good on you,' said Sam. 'Are those tattoos?'

John nodded as he pointed to the tattoos on each arm. The first one was a trident, while the second one was his own personal sigil crossed with a key. John's personal sigil was an incomplete triangle inside an incomplete circle. It stood for his battle magic and the fact that a mage is never done learning.

'Have you heard from Lou? Haven't heard from her since I returned to the mainland. And reception is tricky in Alaska too.' John picked up his bag and walked to the cabin with his siblings. At six feet four, John McMiller towered over his siblings and earned him an intimidating physique, to which the beard only contributed. Upon arriving at the cabin, John got jumped by Jade and Mia. Suzan left them to make tea. John took a seat and started talking about his adventures since he left camp to discover things.

'I've done everything possible. I've been a lumberjack, fisherman, farmhand and more. There was always somebody who could use a pair of strong hands. Ran into the Hunters a few times. Went on a backpack tour of America. Life was simple but good. And I missed you guys too,' he added with a grin.

Before they could continue, someone knocked on the door and Sam went to open it. It was a Hermes camper.

'Sam, Chiron wants to talk to you as quick as you can.'

'Thanks for the message.' Sam returned to the table and downed his tea. 'I have to go, Chiron wants to talk to me.'

'What have you been up to now?' asked John. 'Things haven't exactly changed have they?'

'I don't know,' huffed Sam, 'Stop saying that I'm trouble.'

'But trouble is your middle name.'

'Shut it, Francis,' said the youngest mage before vanishing.

* * *

'What is it you wanted to talk about?' asked Chiron as they arrived at the rec room of the Big House.

Reyna removed her cloak and helmet, took a seat and sighed. 'It's about Hazel, she's had dreams and there was an incident.'

'Do tell,' encouraged Chiron.

'She spoke of dreams she had. She is in Tartarus when two voices speak of revenge against the gods. They talk about a mother figure and those who slayed it. She has seen Kampe joining other monsters and them preparing for war. Worse is that Annabeth has had dreams of the same. The incident of which I speak is that both Hazel and Annabeth were found wandering around New Rome muttering to themselves. They did not seem to recognize New Rome nor Frank and myself. The new auger couldn't see any signs. '

Chiron remained silent, but motioned for her to continue.

'They regained their senses after a short while and we concocted a lie that they were overworked and needed rest. I have brought them here as I think Percy and Nico might help.'

'I will send someone for Percy. And Sam Parker.'

Reyna frowned at hearing the young mage's name. At that moment Nico entered the room and he greeted his friend with a hug. The son of Hades had longer hair and his pale complexion seemed to be less. His leather jacket creaked during the embrace.

'I see that life with Will has had a positive effect,' said Reyna with a smile.

'Life as praetor seems to do you some good too,' replied Nico with a grin. 'Why have you sent for me Chiron?'

'If you could give Nico a quick version I shall explain myself.'

Reyna quickly gave him an update which made his eyes get worrisome.

'What is the meaning of this? An attack?'

Chiron cleared his throat before Percy barged in panting.

'You called?' he asked with a grin between breathes.

Chiron motioned for the boys to take a seat. 'I've been hearing several versions of the same story from three different people. Has Hades said anything, or Poseidon?'

'Dad seemed to be nervous about something last time we spoke, but he waved it off,' replied Nico. Percy shook his head.

'I fear bad news is on the horizon,' said Chiron. 'The gods are restless and I think something big is happening. Something is stirring in Tartarus and it reeks of bad news.'

'What are you talking about?' asked Percy. 'Are we talking about my dreams?'

'Your dreams?' asked Reyna. 'You too?'

'It seems Three of the Seven are receiving similar dreams about something stirring in Tartarus. From what Reyna has told us, we now know that Annabeth, Hazel and Percy are being contacted by prophetic dreams. The problem lies in the fact that someone is toying with the memories of those attacked. Percy, Annabeth and Hazel have had an incident, they are alright, but it might be a sign. It might be that you have noticed something as well?'

'Nothing really, I've been having headaches on and off since I have been to camp, but nothing else.'

Chiron nodded. 'It might be that they are having trouble reaching you as you still are a child of Poseidon and well-guarded by our borders.'

'We need to find the others,' said Percy. 'Piper is probably at her cabin, Jason hasn't been to camp lately, so I take it that he was at Jupiter?'

Reyna nodded. 'What about Leo?'

'At his workshop,' said Nico. 'As always.'

'Find them, have them meet us here. Tell Hazel and Annabeth to join us.'

Sam appeared out of the doorway startling Nico. 'Now you know what that feels like, Batsy.' The son of Hades disappeared to fetch his sister and friends.

'You, you're that demigod who brought Spes back to us and we had to erase you from our criminal records because of Jupiter's orders.'

'At your service, my lady. My friends call me Sam, my enemies call me the One-Legged Bastard.' Sam bowed. 'You're Reyna, praetor at Camp Jupiter.'

Reyna stared him in the eye. Her eyes drifted to his arm. She saw his tattoo and grabbed him by the arm and revealed the tattoo. Keys crossing torches with a Janus face above it. 'Hecate and Janus, that's not possible.' Reyna released him and drew her sword.

'Whoa lady, we've just met, no need for swords.' Sam raised a magical shield

'Reyna, calm down,' said Percy uncapping Riptide.

Sam felt a headache coming up. He closed his eyes and reopened them. For a brief second he thought they were wielding baseball bats.

'You don't understand,' said Reyna. 'A child of Hecate and Janus will have us all killed. The lines dictate it.'

'Explain yourself,' asked Chiron.

The door opened and in came the other demigods from the Seven. They froze as they saw Reyna and Percy with drawn weapons. Annabeth stared at the scene and walked up between them. Piper cleared her throat.

'Drop the swords,' she spoke lacing her words with charmspeak.

Both did as told, easing the tension a bit.

'Sam, drop the shield,' ordered Annabeth.

'You're kidding right? She just met me and wants to gut me like a fish.'

'You have that effect on people,' replied Annabeth. 'Don't make me call Lou.'

'Lou's here?'

'Yeah,' said Leo. 'She's talking to your brothers and sisters at cabin 20. Is it just me or did she get bigger?'

'Yeah, that happens to women who get pregnant, Wonder Boy,' said Piper.

Sam dropped his guard completely. 'Lou's pregnant?'

* * *

They all took a seat, with Sam being forced to stay seated by Chiron and Piper. Chiron offered Reyna a chance to explain herself.

'As you know we have been trying to recreate the Sibylline Books with the help of Rachel and Ella,' said Reyna.

'No,' replied Sam.

'Shush,' said Piper.

'And we've been more and more successful since Apollo was able to finish his quest to return the Oracle of Delphi and the others. We managed to piece together events in the books detailing the reign of Nero and Caligula and Ella was able to piece more and more together. She was able to utter a single verse. I was there when it happened. She spoke:

 _A son of magic and doors broken by the gods/Shall break Olympus against all odds._ '

'Di Immortales,' cursed Annabeth. 'When was this?'

'Months ago, Ella had a fit when she spoke. She was terrified after that,' said Reyna.

Sam slowly breathed out as the Seven and Chiron stared at him. 'I haven't been broken by the gods nor will I do the breaking. I have no intention of doing that.'

'Well,' said Nico. 'In a way you have been.' He pointed at his prosthetic leg. 'The Fates and Thanatos are gods as well.'

'Haven't we all been broken by the gods?' retorted Sam. 'We've all fought in their wars, with dire consequences for some. Haven't we all lost friends and family because of their whims and petty actions?'

'We have,' said Percy. 'But you are currently the only son of Hecate who also is a son of sorts to Janus. You call him grandfather.'

Sam sighed and stared at his hands. 'I have no intention of harming the gods, they've honoured their end of the deal and so did I. There is no reason for me to harm the gods, one of which is my own mother. And I call Janus grandfather because it's shorter.'

'Shorter than what?' asked Jason repositioning his glasses.

'Great, great, great, grandfather. Janus was the father of my grandpa's grandpa. He's a pretty cool dude, but he doesn't show up a lot anymore. Last time I saw him was in California the day I got out of the Underworld.'

'Underworld?' asked Reyna.

'You don't know?' asked Sam with a smile. 'I died when I unleashed hell upon Pandora. Burned every enemy to a crisp. Got myself killed, but I know my way around that. Came back, got punished for months, vowed to never get involved in any prophecies anymore and lead a pretty normal life. This was three years ago.'

'Spes said a crazy Greek did help her get revenge, and I never saw you again after that, so you slipped from my mind,' admitted Reyna. She stared at him. 'But this doesn't mean you won't do something drastic in the future.'

'For Hades' sake, I have no intention of doing anything as long as nothing happens to me, my friends and family,' said Sam angrily. He clutched the armrests of the chair.

'Sam, why don't you go and greet Lou Ellen,' said Chiron. 'She will be happy to see you.'

Sam vanished in the blink of an eye.

'Whatever you say, I am keeping an eye on that mage,' said Reyna defiantly.

'We're not saying that you shouldn't,' said Piper, 'but thread carefully. Cabin 20 keeps each other safe and we know what they are capable of, especially Lou and John.'

'Lou is already scary as she is, I seriously hope she doesn't go full mama bear anytime soon,' said Percy with a nervous chuckle.

'She is always goes mama bear, Seaweed Brain.'


	4. Chapter 4

**The next chapter is here :) Hope you like it. It will be more on the mages and the main enemy of the story.**

 **Please review.**

* * *

 **Chapter 4 Flawless**

Sam slammed into the door and landed on the porch. The door opened as he groaned. A shadow loomed over him.

'You still haven't figured out that power?' asked Lou with a grin.

'You locked the door, didn't you?'

'Maybe I did, maybe I didn't.'

Lou helped her brother up and grabbed him into a tight hug. The two mages remained quiet.

'Lou, you're squishing me,' muttered Sam.

'Shut up and let me hug you.'

'Lou,' called Charlotte. 'Let the man breathe.'

The mages broke up and walked indoors. Sam could now clearly see the changed physique of his eldest sister. She seemed to glow and her belly started poking out.

'So, how long have you guys been pregnant?' he asked. 'Could've told us sooner.'

'Four and a half months,' replied Lou as she took a seat next to Charlotte. 'And we waited until now because we felt like it. I've asked mom to keep it a secret until I told you.'

The mages fell silent as they let the news sink in.

'How?' asked Jade. 'I know that we're mages and capable of doing crazy things, but creating a baby is weird. And you're both women.'

'Well,' started Charlotte. 'We prayed to a couple of gods and there was that one night. But the baby is purely demigod.'

'Twice quarter god,' corrected Ronan.

'Two quarters make a half,' said Sam. 'Basic maths.'

'Don't talk about that,' said Suzan. 'You're still going to get a tutor this summer.'

'Guys, the baby is growing to be just normal,' said Charlotte. 'Can we just ask to keep it away from blessings and magical stuff, for now?'

'Haven't you guys have to be somewhere else,' said Lou to the younger mages. 'Classes or activities?'

The younger mages stared at each other before disappearing. Sam and Mia muttered something about magical practice, while Jade went for some wall climbing. Charlotte said goodbye mentioning setting up camp with the Romans.

'Never thought you'd be the first to get a child. You've never spoken about it before,' said Suzan as she grabbed her sister's hand. 'It's wonderful.'

'We wanted to, it just happened,' said Lou squeezing back.

John stared at his sisters before tears rolled off his cheeks. Lou opened her arm and held her brother in a hug as he cried. 'You're going to be a great mom, Blackstone.'

'You're going to be a great uncle, McMiller.'

* * *

Sam had walked back to the forges to find Leo and George. He found Leo tinkering with some little automaton.

'Hey Leo, want to continue working on the mecha?'

Leo let the man walk. It was a miniature warrior who did slashes in the air. 'Sure, George and Nyssa are already at Bunker 9.' The warrior had fallen down.

A couple of moments later Sam was sitting in the cockpit of the mecha. He was being strapped in by George. A three point seatbelt kept him seated, while his feet were strapped into the controls for the legs.

'We're just trying out the basic controls, okay?' We'll be down there getting readings from inside the robot.'

'Alright, let's try this out.'

George left the cockpit and closed the hatch before joining his siblings and the Athena campers at the table with the computer that was created by Athena and Hephaestus based on Daedalus' design. He placed a headset on his head.

'Test 1,2,3. Base to cockpit, do you hear me?'

'Loud and clear, over,' was the reply.

'Alright Sam, try and raise the left arm.'

Sam squeezed the trigger-like device and lifted his left arm. He saw the left arm following suit. Sam released the trigger and the fingers snapped back to an open palm. Upon command of George, he repeated the action with the right arm. Sam moved the leg controls and felt the whole robot take its first steps in Bunker 9. Sam continued the exercise until he could no longer feel his arms. George came up with a towel and bottle of water with a hint of nectar.

'How did I do?'

'Great, we've got most of the data that we can use to improve the controls. How are you feeling?'

'My stump is getting itchy, and my arms feel as if I've been doing push up for three hours straight,' said Sam towelling himself off. He drank a fifth of the bottle.

Later they were discussing the possibilities of improvements. Nyssa was drawing a new set of blueprints while George and Victoria, the Athena camper who was assisting them, were studying the information on the computer.

'The whole weight of it needs to be brought down,' said Leo. 'It's too slow for actual combat.'

'The controls need better feedback as well,' continued Sam. 'It gets tiring after a while, because the whole "me lifting the entire arm" is too much. And I take it you want to give it a shield and a sword as well?'

'That was the idea, but it only adds weight,' said George with a sigh. 'We could always ditch the head and remove the cockpit casing, but that leaves the rider open to attacks.'

'The head goes,' said Victoria. 'Without the casing, the pilot would be too vulnerable.'

'Can't you make it from something else than iron and celestial bronze?' asked Sam. 'What about a durable glass?'

'We could try it,' said Nyssa. 'I'll add it to the list.'

'This is not going to be finished soon,' said George as he sighed once again.

* * *

She stepped upon the stones, ancient the goddess smiled. A crowd of monsters stood at the base, guarded by Kampe, many of which being her children. Moros and Keres waved at her. Her companion was scouting for more help.

'My children and allies,' spoke the goddess. 'It is time for us to unite and overthrow the Olympians once and for all.'

Cheers erupted from the crowd.

'We have made our first move and the demigods are on the verge of losing their beloved leaders. Without them, they will be weakened and morally broken. After that we shall launch our attack on Mount Olympus and vanish Camp Half Blood and Camp Jupiter.'

More cheers erupted before laughs silenced the crowd. Cackling laughter was heard from the back of the crowd.

'Who dares to interrupt me, the First of the Protogenoi ?' she demanded. Her dress waved in her anger.

The crowd parted trying not to fall into streams of lava and the Lethe. Two figures appeared at the front. One of them was a woman wearing a brown dress. She was beautiful and would be perfect if she had had eyes instead of two gaping holes. The other was an old man wielding a scythe. His golden eyes stared at the goddess while their images flickered.

'Kronos, Pandora, have you joined our cause just to mock me?'

'To offer advice,' replied Kronos. 'You have to be more patient. They are fully united alongside the Hunters of Artemis and The Amazons. You've made a successful first move, but the Fates are already on to your plan and have given the first dreams to the demigods.'

'Annabeth Chase was found helplessly wandering around New Rome,' replied Nyx. 'A couple of pushes more and she loses her mind, alongside the sea spawn's. They'll end up broken and pitiful. I have waited long enough for my revenge.'

'I understand that,' spat Kronos, 'but we need to think this through. If they manage to win this war, we might be in more trouble. The demigods grow stronger with each generation. Their heroes are revered. Imagine them becoming gods? They would be unstoppable.'

'It is not solely the Seven, my lady,' said Pandora. 'You have more than them to worry about.'

'It is not because you lost against that boy, that I will as well. With him out of the picture we take out Hecate as well if his fate is so abhorrent, Hestia will weep for her champion as well. Without their beloved Hestia, the Olympians will fall even more easily. I have it covered,' she said. 'As he is one of the returned, he is open to my manipulations. Have you two something else to add?'

'Watch out for the mages. The boy has family that will protect him. Sam Parker is a risk that you need to deal with,' finished Pandora.

'Focus on Zeus if you're going after the Olympians, the proud king has always been the easiest target,' said Kronos. The son of Ouranos began to vanish.

'Are you not staying?'

'I have been defeated one to many times this millennium,' replied the old Titan. 'Time for a new generation to take it over. I'll bide my time for my return.'

'Pandora?'

'I'm on my way to full restoration. Call upon me once you've taken out the boy.'

'Cowards, you shall rot away in Tartarus alongside the gods once we have defeated them all,' screamed the goddess at their vanishing laughs.

* * *

At the end of the week, on the Feast of Fortuna, a great celebration had been planned. Roman and Greek demigods were to be joined by the gods for a three day festival, as a way of strengthening the bonds between both camps even further. Another feast was to be held at the end of the summer on the Feast of Spes.

It was the day of the celebration. The last things were being prepared. The dining pavilion had been made larger to accommodate the gods and Romans, while the Romans had helped on the construction of the foundations of New Athens. Some of the Olympians had come early and were walking around camp.

'It seems that your daughter has big plans for the camp,' said Hephaestus as he and Athena strolled between the buildings.

'She has,' answered Athena with a smile. 'She has been talking about it ever since they defeated Gaea.'

'I take it that the funding comes from you?'

Athena gave the blacksmith a look that told him to drop the subject. Hephaestus only grinned.

'My lord, my lady.'

The gods turned around and saw a familiar demigod bowing. Sam Parker stared at his own feet.

'Parker,' said Athena with an amused tone. 'Speak.'

'I wanted to ask you if lord Hephaestus would be free to give his children some advice. They are stuck and need your assistance. They are at Bunker 9.'

'Athena, it has been nice to see you again, but I will see what my children are up to.'

'Have fun,' replied the goddess before he disappeared in a column of fire. She saw Sam still standing there. The boy was uncomfortable.

'How is your mother doing? Why don't you show me around some more?'

Sam stared at the goddess before starting to walk towards the hospital. 'She excited about the baby.'

'I would be too if I would be able to see my first grandchild grow up,' said Athena staring at the building process of a new temple.

'I guess that's true,' said Sam. 'Mom has always been there for her children, so I don't see why she wouldn't be there for her grandchildren. Do you have grandchildren?'

'I do not,' said Athena. 'But that might change in the future.'

'With Percy and Annabeth you mean?'

The goddess sighed. 'I have given you your tongue once, do not make me take it back, but yes, Annabeth and that sea spawn are my chance of becoming a grandmother.'

The two of them stood before the hospital. Will was showing Apollo the outer structures with his healer siblings.

'Your father was a wise man,' the goddess said as she took a seat on a conjured bench. 'You could've been mine if Hecate hadn't seen him first.'

Sam stared at the goddess who smiled. Her eyes were telling him the truth. 'I did not know that.'

'That is why I am the goddess of wisdom and you are Sam Parker, the one who is failing math despite his intelligence.'

'Thank you,' said Sam trying to see if it was meant as an insult or compliment.

'Sam, has anyone told you about the flaws demigods possess?'

'The fatal flaw thing, like Achilles and his heel? A bit,' admitted Sam as he started playing with a deck of cards.

'These fatal flaws are very real. Every demigod possesses one or more and if one does not learn to control it, it will get them killed in one way or the other. As much as I am amazed by Annabeth's success with New Athens, the pride of her accomplishments might get her killed if she isn't careful.'

'But she has every right to be proud about this, it is pretty amazing to create an entire village or city out of nothing, although she did have some help,' replied Sam.

'And when the time comes, someone will have to remind her about that,' said Athena.

At that moment the conch was blown and people started heading towards the pavilion.

'Sam, you are a competent fighter in your own right, but you have to remember, not everyone can be saved by a single man.'

'I know that, death is part of life.'

'Never forget that.'

Athena flashed herself away as Sam sat on the bench staring at Cate and Harley bickering in front of the window.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5 Wise Choices**

It turned out the Hunters of Artemis and the Amazons had joined the feast as well. Sam had been greeted by both Thalia and Lianne. The younger Hunters all nodded before they went to their assigned tables. Thalia had congratulated Lou with the pregnancy. The Amazon Queen and Reyna looked so alike that Sam couldn't believe that they weren't twins. Hylla was the eldest. The sisters greeted each other warmly. Sam did recognize Kinzie who grinned when Lou mentioned the orange jumpsuits.

The Olympians were seated at the largest table with the invited minor gods, Chiron and Rachel sitting at the tables that formed the U-shape around a large fire. Most Greek demigods sat at their designated tables, although Thalia had chosen to sit next to Annabeth and Percy at Percy's table. The Romans sat at tables with their designated cohorts. The Amazons had divided themselves across several free tables.

Zeus, dressed in a fancy toga, rose from his seat. He lifted his cup and the murmur died down.

'Campers of Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter, Hunters and Amazons. I am honoured to see this feast happening to celebrate the unity of the four factions. I know that many of you have suffered great loses over the past years, yet you have risen to the challenge to protect Olympus from harm, for that we salute you, I salute you. Let us feast!' Cheers erupted from the crowd as Zeus clapped and food appeared on each table with the nymphs and naiads taking further orders.

The four factions rejoiced in their festivities while people started to mingle. The Ares campers issued arm wrestling contests between people while the Hermes and Mercury children took the bets. Even the children of Hecate, who had no Roman siblings present at the feast, broke up and joined their friends. Lou found Charlotte and together they took a seat close to the Seven's table. John had joined the tournament of strengths, while Sam had wandered off to the table with Cali and Gina.

'Hey Peg,' said Gina. 'Long time no see. How's the project coming along?'

'Pretty good,' said Sam. 'Was that you, wielding the trident at the arena the other day?'

The daughter of Poseidon nodded as she pointed at the ring on her finger that had a shark on it. 'I've named it _Earthbreaker_.'

'Seems fitting,' replied Sam while taking a sip. 'How's Liam doing?'

Cali shrugged. 'How should I know? I haven't spoken to him since early May. Something you'd have known if you kept in touch.'

'So you're not dating anymore?'

'We never dated,' replied Cali angrily before gulping down her drink. 'He needed a bounce. How's your love life doing? Last time I checked you were still chasing Jesse, the medic.'

'Caught her one day when she had to run with Harley on Ward 2. She's all mine now.'

'That's great, just great,' muttered Cali before picking up some grapes from a plate.

Before Sam could respond, he felt a sharp stab in his head. He grabbed his head and moaned. Images floated before his eyes.

'Sam, you alright?' asked Gina.

'Headache,' replied Sam. 'Nothing new.'

A gust of wind swept through the pavilion, extinguishing the smaller torches and candles. As the sun disappeared across the horizon, it became darker in the pavilion. The murmur died down for a second as people questioned children of skies and storms for practical jokes.

'This is not good,' said Zeus. 'This is no regular shift in weather. Apollo?' The king of the gods stared at his son.

'The sun is still supposed to be setting, this is not my doing,' defended Apollo.

'There is no moon,' said Artemis pointing at the empty skies.

The sound of shears doing their thing was heard and everyone sat down, being quiet as possible. Mist crept into the pavilion. Demigods closest to it, jumped on their tables to escape it. People and gods turned to Hecate and her children, but they shook their heads in confusion.

Sam watched the mist and blinked as he spotted a figure standing in it. It was a man dressed in a black jacket and a pair of jeans. Glasses framed his eyes. The man beckoned him over. The white ace on his breast pocket seemed to glow.

'Dad?' he asked as he stood.

'Sam, are you okay?' asked Cali.

'That's my Dad.'

Sam pointed to a spot beyond the mist, but there was no one to see. A sudden shriek made people turn around. Annabeth Chase screamed as she swatted at herself.

'Get them off, get them off,' she lamented. 'Why aren't you helping me?'

Thalia was the first to reach her, but Annabeth screamed even louder and drew her drakon bone sword. Thalia backed off and made Aegis appear.

'Stay away from me, Arachne,' the daughter of Athena said tears streaking her face. He swung her sword at Thalia who deflected the blow with her shield as Piper and Jason advanced on Annabeth who pointed her sword at them.

Another gust blew through the pavilion and now the large fire danced in the wind. The sound of scissors sounded again and now three figures stepped through the mist that turned green. The three women had silver hair and wore simple white robes. Their eyes focused on the fire as they strode forward. Every demigod bowed as they walked by.

The women positioned themselves around the fire and continued spinning some yarn. The first piece of yarn was spun, measured and snipped and then thrown in the fire. Clotho stared at Rachel Dare who stood up and spoke, with a voice not quite hers, green mist flowing out of her mouth as she did, her eyes being white as the Fates' robes.

 _King's bane and fear talk in the deep_

 _Stirring from eternal sleep._

 _Stricken be the returned_

 _Five will fall, three be yearned._

Rachel stopped to speak, as another piece of yarn was spun, measured and snipped. Lachesis turned to the Oracle and she spoke again.

 _Drowned by the veil with no sight_

 _The broken oath comes to light._

 _To a deception by sister's bond,_

 _Silver gloves shall respond._

The ritual continued once more with Atropos turning to Rachel who delivered the next verses:

 _Bound to the city of chance_

 _Three of love's triangle will dance_

 _To find what is lost_

 _A maiden pays the cost._

The Three Fates all turned to fire and created another piece of yarn. Rachel opened her mouth to speak once more, but the voice she used was all three together:

 _Mad titan will fall to night_

 _Disperse a light so bright._

The fire between the Fates shone brighter and brighter. Rachel Dare fell down exhausted only to be held by Chiron and Tyche.

Atropos turned to the gods. The Fate smiled. 'You have been warned. Old enemies are closing in on Olympus, with new ones on the horizon. Make wise choices.' And with that, the three Fates disappeared in the light. Fire illuminated the pavilion once more while Annabeth Chase stared at her drawn sword and then at her friends.

'What just happened?'

* * *

Shouts and murmurs rose again, with people accusing others, younger demigods crying and Sam Parker staring in the distance, trying to figure out what he had just seen, because his father had died years ago and bid him farewell in the Underworld. Annabeth Chase was comforted by her friends.

'Campers,' said Chiron, decreasing the noise. 'It seems we were given another prophecy.'

'But not from the Oracle,' said Rachel. 'It came from them, from Fate itself.'

'Dark times are ahead of us,' said Athena. 'We must prepare ourselves.'

At that time a couple of campers came staggering into the pavilion. Two guards dressed in armour held two others. Chiron quickly advanced while some Apollo campers joined him.

'Jim, my boy, what happened?' Chiron asked.

'We made it back to New York in relative safety. But the moment we crossed into the city, monsters swarmed all around us. Rose and Sherman held them off as they ordered us to get to camp, we made it but barely. The border guards saved us. Oh gods, Rose. She was shredded to bits by a Chimera.'

'Who did this?' asked Aphrodite, Rose's mother. 'The Chimera is your territory is it not?' That last question was directed at Hades.

'It wasn't me,' replied Hades angrily. 'Letty is one of my younger children.'

'We should not fight, among ourselves,' said Hestia from beside the fire. 'Athena is right, we should prepare ourselves for battle.'

'We have campers out on a quest as well,' said Reyna. 'We must warm them as well.' She and several Romans stood up and left the pavilion as others tried to comprehend the words of the Fates.

'Gods, with me to Olympus. We need to discuss this,' decreed Zeus before disappearing in bright light. The other Olympians said their goodbyes and followed him.

'Athena campers, with me,' said Annabeth Chase. 'We need all the information that we can get.'

'Hang on,' said Percy. 'You're going to the infirmary with Jim and Letty.'

'Why?' Annabeth Chase stared at Percy with a defiant look.

'Because you kind of tried to kill me, Annie,' replied Thalia. 'You thought I was Arachne and I guess you were seeing spiders.'

'Oh.'

Annabeth and Percy joined Chiron's troupe to the hospital. Sam walked over the Hecate table and saw his eldest siblings staring at him.

'What?'

'You okay? You seemed to space out for a moment,' said John.

'I thought I saw my dad in the mist,' replied Sam before he could come up with an excuse. 'He looked as if the accident never happened. He still wore the black jacket I bought him for his birthday. But it couldn't be him, he is in the Underworld.'

'Why don't we go and see Harley?' said Lou. 'You seem to be riled up from the whole thing.'

'Yeah, maybe we ought to do that.'

Sam walked towards the exit as his siblings exchanged nervous glances.

* * *

Nyx stared at the images before her. She smiled. The first move had been made, although getting through to her pawns was harder than she had thought. Annabeth was the first where she succeeded fully, but the others were more difficult. For Parker she had something special in mind, his father's death being the ideal gateway to push him over the edge.

'My lady, we have returned from the attack on the demigods,' said a cyclops. 'They have been destroyed, but we've lost four of our own.'

'An acceptable loss,' replied Nyx. 'They have reached the camp and are spreading the fear we need to succeed. Get your troops to prepare for phase two of our plan.' The cyclops nodded and left the room of the mansion. Nyx went over her notes. She had made her first move, with Annabeth Chase already being discredited.

'Camp Jupiter will burn to the ground, but first Sally Jackson must be attacked,' she said to her first lieutenant.

Nyx checked off the first item on her list. The son of Poseidon was next. And his mother was the ideal way to hit two birds with one stone. 'Make it look as if Zeus is responsible, this will divide the Olympians.'

'Consider it done, I will have my vengeance on the god of the Seas and the former lord of the storms,' replied the lieutenant.

* * *

'How long have you been having those headaches?' asked Helen, daughter of Hygiea as she shone a light in his eyes.

'A couple of weeks?' said Sam. 'They usually come after the dreams.'

'Sharp and quick or dull and lingering?'

'Mostly the latter, but the one I'm having now is more sharp stings.' Sam stared at the trauma bay where medics were working on Jim and Letty, dressing their wounds with bandages while making sure they were okay. Harley was taking a look at Annabeth who was shaking slightly as Percy held her hand.

'You mentioned seeing your father,' said Lou. 'How is that possible? He's dead, you've seen him yourself.'

'I don't know, but he looked like I saw him in the Underworld, normal with his black jacket. I swear I'm not making this up. How's Annabeth?'

'Don't worry about her,' said Helen. 'Focus on yourself. How are you feeling right now?' Helen tightened the cuff around his arm.

'Tired,' said Sam. 'But the headache seems to fade.'

'Your vitals are looking fine,' said Helen. 'But I would like for you to have a good night's sleep, so I'm going to give you a sleeping potion to take before bed.'

'Will do.'

As the patients were all treated by the medics a group of armed demigods, both Roman and Greek wandered into the hospital. Reyna led the group.

'Percy, Annabeth, Chiron wants to have all head counsellors in the Big House for a meeting with the other leaders to discuss the course of action. We've taken the liberty to set up a border patrol alongside the forest border. Any demigod willing to fight is welcome to join.'

Annabeth and Percy nodded before Harley came over to Lou and Sam. The medic congratulated her friend and asked the usual questions as Sam stared at the group of armed people.

'Reyna,' he spoke. 'Why are you guys carrying all those firearms? And since when do you carry a scalpel as a weapon?'

The room went silent as the elder medics and Lou stared at him. Percy and Annabeth stood in the doorway and tensed up.

'Sam,' started Harley. 'Are you feeling okay?'

'Yeah, the headache is fading, why'd you ask?'

'Because,' said Reyna. 'We are not carrying firearms, but swords.' She drew her dagger and watched the younger mage. 'And this is a golden dagger, not a scalpel.' The praetor twirled the blade on her finger.

'You're not messing with me, right?'

'I'm afraid she's right, Sam,' said Lou.

'Oh boy,' sighed Harley.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6 Falling**

Later that night the leaders of every faction were sitting around the ping pong table at the Big House. Besides the Seven there were several others.

'Why are we all here?' asked Clarisse. 'Do we really need the small cabins here?' She pointed at Cali and Damien.

'Because we have a right to be here,' said Damien, 'You're only here because Sherman isn't.'

Clarisse's eyes went wide. 'Don't start, small fry.'

'Everybody,' said Chiron. 'Please stay calm. We have lots to discuss.' Clarisse and Damien backed down. John squeezed Clarisse shoulder. 'Annabeth, the floor is yours.'

The daughter of Athena cleared her throat. 'We've been going over the prophecy with the Athena campers and we've come up with several things. Does anyone want to hear the full prophecy again?'

'Yeah, I was too busy fighting you to clearly hear it,' replied Thalia with a smirk.

Rachel breathed in and recited: _'King's bane and fear talk in the deep/Stirring from eternal sleep./Stricken be the returned/Five will fall, three be yearned./Drowned by the veil with no sight/The broken oath comes to light./To a deception by sister's bond,/Silver gloves shall respond./Bound to the city of chance/Three of love's triangle will dance/To find what is lost/Maiden pays the cost./Mad titan will fall to night/Disperse a light so bright.'_

'Before we start discussing the verses,' said John, 'we need to talk about something or someone else.'

'Who?' asked Cali.

'Sam Parker, the youngest mage at Cabin 20.'

Cali and Damien tensed up when hearing the name.

'Your brother?' asked Hylla.

'This enemy we are facing is dangerous,' said John. 'I'm here for cabin 20 as Lou and Suzan are checking him out. Someone is manipulating the Mist against us and this is bad news. What happened to Annabeth at the feast is, in all respect Chase, not the worst thing. Manipulating the Mist for regular demigods is easy, to do it successfully to a child of Hecate is bad because we were born with Mist in our blood.'

'Wait, someone is manipulating a child of Hecate at their own game?' asked Leila. 'And isn't Sam the one who killed Pandora?'

'To have this power means that we are not facing a regular monster enemy, but a powerful god,' said John. 'Someone with an axe to grind.'

'This doesn't help us very much,' said Percy. 'We've got more than a dozen of angry gods and powerful monsters as enemies.'

'If we could circle back to the prophecy,' said Annabeth. 'The first two lines speak of two things reforming. If we look at King's bane and fear, there are multiple possibilities. Zeus' bane would be Porphyrion, but there are other kings as well.'

'Neptune and Pluto are kings in their respected domains,' said Leila. 'Are we facing one of their Gigantes counterparts?'

Chiron nodded. 'Polybotes and Alcyoneus are respectable opponents on their own. I'm afraid that those lines won't do us any good. Greek mythology knows many "kings" and their opponents.'

'That brings us to the next lines,' said Reyna. 'Our questing party was also attacked as they entered San Francisco. We've lost two campers as well, three were rescued by veterans living in the city.'

'That makes four. Are the others going to make it?' asked Frank.

'Apparently yes,' said Reyna. 'But something could always happen.'

'The veil in the next verse could be the Mist, but it could easily be a regular veil or something else to take away the ability to see,' said Rachel. 'Same goes for the broken oath. There have been more than one occasions of broken oaths.'

The Greeks turned to Percy and Thalia who just shrugged.

'The next lines do offer us more to work with,' said Chiron. 'A sister's bond and silver gloves do point to…'

'Us,' finished Thalia. 'And Lady Artemis. But we have no intention of deceiving people.'

'Besides,' said Hylla. 'It could also mean the Hunters and Amazons, we've worked together on more than one occasion since Gaea was defeated.'

'Guys, not to be such a downer, but this isn't exactly working is it? We've only got a prophecy and incidents to work with and we all know what happens if one tries to resist to the Fates.' Nico went silent again as he went back to his own corner.

'I know,' said Annabeth, 'but it's better than nothing, right? We can't sit here and do nothing can't we?'

'The city of chance has to be Las Vegas,' said Cali. 'What is the place to be caught by chance and luck?'

'Atlantic City also has a gambling history,' said Leo. He played around with a piece of metal.

'True, but if you had to choose, where would you go?' asked Hazel. 'Las Vegas is so much bigger.'

'And it's part of our history too,' said Percy. 'Remember the Lotus Casino?'

'Yeah, not exactly something I'd like to relive,' replied Annabeth.

'Percy, didn't you say that you've had strange dreams?' asked Piper. 'Like Annabeth and Hazel?'

'I did, of Tartarus.'

'Maybe someone is going after you guys for whatever reason they can think of. And they might be using your history against you,' said Thalia. 'Think of Kronos, Las Vegas, me, Zoë, "three of love's triangle" that sounds a lot like you two and Rachel.'

'You guys did get caught in Hephaestus' love trap on your first quest,' said Jason. 'And Kronos is a Titan.'

'But why would someone go after Sam as well?' asked John. 'He has no history with you two.'

'And why is Hazel the only other with dreams? We were seven on the Argo II,' said Piper.

'Maybe Kronos is coming back from the dead and he's been following us and gaining supporters like Kampe,' said Annabeth as she scribbled furiously on the notepad.

'Pandora might have talked about her defeat by Sam to monsters down there. Sam is powerful, so is Hecate and cabin 20. If they want to make sure that they could win, they would take out as many people as they can.'

'Hurt Hazel as well and you take Camp Jupiter, myself and the rest of the Seven into the mix,' said Nico.

'If you make it look as if someone else is doing it, say an Olympian, and you'd split up the gods as well,' continued Clarisse. 'Divide and conquer.'

'There's one problem with that theory,' said Leo. 'I have been dreaming as well. About the past and monsters chasing us. Somewhere with a lot of fire too.'

'Still works,' said Will. 'You're just another pawn in the game.'

Leo looked up and stared at Will with fierce look. Strings of smoke rose from his shoulders. 'She said that too.' Flames licked his jacket.

People backed up as John threw his cloak around Leo's shoulders.

'That's all what I've been to you isn't it,' said Leo as he rose. 'A mere pawn that the gods and heroes can play with.'

'Leo, calm down,' said Piper. 'That's not what Will meant.'

'Then what does he mean? That I was nothing but an addition to the group? A person that could take the fall?'

'Leo,' said Piper lacing her words with charmspeak. 'Sit down and extinguish those flames.'

Leo did as he was told, but stared at Piper with a vacant look on his face.

'This isn't normal,' said Piper. 'I know that Leo wasn't always happy while on the quest and afterwards, but this isn't like him.'

'Get him over to the infirmary,' said Chiron. 'Whoever it is, this person has influence beyond our control.'

Piper and John volunteered and dragged a reluctant Leo out of the Big House.

'Alright, this is getting creepy,' said Reyna. 'Are we under attack here?'

'It appears so,' said Chiron.

Before someone could respond, Hazel stood up and stared out the window. Thunder rumbled through the skies and lightning lit up the sky for a second. 'Storm is coming, a big one too.' Hazel started mumbling.

'Hazel?'

'Something of great magical power is coming. I can't say who or what it is, but that lightning isn't regular stuff.'

'We must inform the gods at once,' said Chiron. 'Go to your troops and have them ready. Annabeth, Percy, go to the hospital and stay there. Inform cabin 20 of our findings.'

'You will do no such thing,' said Hazel as she turned to the group. Her eyes had the same vacant stare as Leo, yet her eyes were golden. 'I will have my vengeance.'

'Kronos,' spat Percy. 'Those eyes are exactly his.'

Hazel smiled. 'Jackson, always a pleasure of seeing you again.' Hazel drew her sword and mumbled and incantation. 'Ah, this one has some decent power, unlike that Castellan boy.'

'Shut it, Kronos,' growled Thalia as she drew her bow.

Hazel waved her hand and suddenly the leaders were thrown aside like dolls. She turned around to unlock the door, but suddenly she was outside in the pouring rain held by Nico Di Angelo. She pushed him away and swung her sword at him. Nico blocked the strike with his own Stygian blade.

'Hazel, listen to my voice,' said Nico. 'This isn't like you. You have to fight Kronos.'

'Trying to save another sister aren't you?' asked Hazel/Kronos. 'Too bad you couldn't save the other one, who was it again, Becca?'

Nico gripped his sword and slammed it into the ground, raising four skeletons to help him fight. 'Her name was Bianca, and will make sure you never are able to speak her name again.' Nico raised his blade. Hazel pointed her sword at the ground and suddenly gems appeared at the skeletons feet. The moment they touched those, they vanished.

'It was my fault,' said Hazel. 'I nearly got the world killed. My god, mom.'

Nico stared at Hazel. Her shoulders slumped. 'Hazel, you did nothing wrong. It was Gaea who manipulated you.'

He approached her slowly. Just as he was closing in,Hazel threw him off his feet by raising the ground and prepared to strike him with her blade. An flash of silver stopped and Hazel/Kronos shrieked as a silver arrow stuck out of her hand. She dropped the blade and was thrown off her feet by Percy moving the water around her while Thalia kept a notched arrow pointed at her.

Nico recovered as the others came out of the Big House and witnessed the fight. Percy kept Hazel trapped in a torrent of water as Thalia picked up Hazel's blade.

'You won't be able to save them all. They are all open to my manipulation,' said Hazel with a laugh. Suddenly she fell back to the ground and Percy turned to the others. Before he could do any damage, Thalia knocked him out with Aegis. Annabeth reacted, but Clarisse and Hylla held her. Hazel got back up and stared at Nico.

'What is going on?'

* * *

'Somebody needs to fill me in,' said Harley. 'I have five patients in my trauma room which have no physical trauma aside from some bruises and cuts. Thalia carried in an unconscious Percy with Annabeth near hysterical. Hazel is mumbling in her sleep with an arrow in her hand and we have her and Leo restrained and Sam is losing the ability to withstand the Mist.

Chiron and Will stood next to her as they watched their five patients being watched over by friends and family and a group of medics.

'Kronos is out to get us,' said Will. 'He has found a way to make them his puppets or lose control over their powers.'

'Are you serious?' asked Harley as she approached Leo's bed. 'I can take fire and water, and hysterical patients, but is those two that I am most worried about.' She pointed at Hazel and Sam who were lying next to each other being watched over by Suzan, Lou and John. 'And especially Sam. We know what he's capable of doing.'

'There has to be a connection between them,' said Chiron. 'Five will fall, three be yearned.'

As Chiron had spoken those words, the room went silent for a moment. People turned to their respective person. Piper turned to both Leo and Annabeth, while Jason stared at Percy.

'Hazel said the storm wasn't natural,' started Annabeth. 'This entire storm could be a setup.' As if cued by a stage master, the thunder and lightning rumbled through the sky.

'Death,' said Nico looking up.

'What?' said Calypso as she squeezed Leo's hand.

'Death connects them,' continued Nico. 'Annabeth and Percy fell into Tartarus, a place that only the dead would survive. They even used the Death Mist to conceal themselves. By using the Doors of Death, they somehow have crossed the ultimate border. Hazel and Leo both died and were resurrected by me and the Physicians Cure respectively. Sam came back from the dead on his own. What happened to his body after you burned it on the pyre? Did it turn to ash?'

'No, it didn't,' said John. 'It vanished in the fire.'

'But that's not possible, Sam couldn't've done that. He was a novice,' said Suzan.

'And he still killed Pandora by unleashing a dragon made of fire,' replied Lou.

'So by reviving myself, I've put myself on the radar of Kronos?'

'So it seems,' replied Chiron with a sigh. 'I will report this to the gods immediately.'

'Five will fall, three be yearned,' said Annabeth staring at her own hands.

The storm was the only thing that made any noise in the room.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7 is here :) We are now nearly halfway through the second act of the story. Things are going to get a lot worse in the next few chapters, although some signs are alreday here :) Enjoy and please review.**

 **Better late than never: Disclaimer: I do not own PJO or any of the characters. All rights belong to Rick Riordan.**

* * *

 **Chapter 7 Visions**

Annabeth Chase stared at Sam Parker who was being tended to by Lou Ellen and Suzan. They showed him several items and he had to name them. It had been nearly a full week since the meeting and the incidents. A week since they had been confined to the hospital. The storm had subsided after two days, but there had been news of another storm on the horizon.

'That's a silver dollar,' said Sam. 'So we have: a bronze dagger, a gold sword, a picture of John as a lumberjack, an actual scalpel and the silver dollar.'

'You sure?' asked Suzan.

'Absolutely.'

'Then you're wrong,' said Suzan. 'That's no silver dollar, but a drachma.'

Sam groaned and closed his eyes. 'I'm tired, can we continue this another time?'

'You heard the man,' said Harley as she entered the room where they had placed the targeted ones. 'Get lost and Lou, you should be resting.'

Lou Ellen glared at the head medic but she sighed and left by saying goodbye to Sam who did not reply. The mages left their younger brother.

'How are you doing, Annabeth?' asked Harley as she closed the curtain around her bed and slipped the cuff around her arm.

'Good considering the events? Have you heard about the defences?'

'No, but you shouldn't worry about that. You need to focus on getting better. How is the training going with the mages?'

'Good, I'm getting the hang of seeing through the illusions, but detecting the actual Mist is more difficult.'

Harley removed the cuff and listened to her heartbeat.

'You seem physically fine, but I'm concerned by the psychological effects of the manipulations. I know that seeing your worst fear and enemy isn't exactly fun.'

'Arachne is not my worst enemy,' said Annabeth defensively.

'And yet she cursed all of Athena's children with the fear of spiders, if you could you'd slice her to bits, right?'

Annabeth closed her mouth and grumbled a positive answer which made Harley grin.

'Harley, you are going to fix this, right?' asked the daughter of Athena as she picked up her notebook with her theories on the prophecy.

'I'm a doctor, Annabeth, it's my job to heal you. Now, you should rest, so no late night code breaking anymore, understood?'

Annabeth tried to give her an "I didn't do that" look, but Harley only stared her down until she dropped the pen back on the table.

* * *

'Should've known this place wouldn't be empty,' said Sam as he closed the door on the rooftop while a bright light shone in his eyes.

Annabeth lowered the torch and motioned for Sam to take a seat next to her. Sam looked at the grey eyed blonde. Even after being confronted by her worst nightmare, the leader of the Athena cabin still looked as if she could kick ass.

'Why are you here, Sam? Shouldn't you be sleeping?'

'Shouldn't you not do any investigating on the prophecy?' replied the son of Hecate. 'But to answer your question, I wanted to look at the stars. They're still there are they?'

'Yes, Sam, the stars are still there.'

'Just checking.'

The two demigods sat in near darkness and silence as Annabeth had placed her flashlight on the ground with the notebook on top.

'How did you get past the guards?'

'Yankee cap and through the window. You?'

'Cloak also has an invisibility enchantment. Wasn't easy to do either. So, how far are you with cracking that code?'

'Not that far. I've been running possibilities in my head, but it is impossible to crack prophecies until they come to pass according to Chiron.'

'Let me hear it again, I'm kind of good with impossible things and besides aren't you as well? I mean you're Annabeth freaking Chase, saviour of Olympus, survivor of Tartarus and you got Percy into college. If that doesn't cover impossible things.'

Annabeth let out a laugh. 'You're absolutely right. We've pushed back against everything that Fate has thrown at us, this has to be doable. It's the "three be yearned" part that has me worried. Logically it means that three of us will die or something along those lines, but it could very well be someone else.'

'Three is a magical number, so are five and seven,' replied Sam. 'The Seven, The five Fallen, Three of us that will fall. Three eldest gods, three questers, three Fates, three times three Muses. There are fifty-four cards in a deck which is eighteen times three.'

'Are you sure you're falling math? You seem pretty good with numbers.'

'Magic has a lot of numerical things going on,' said Sam with a shrug. 'Five is the number of elements in Chinese magic, Camp Jupiter has five cohorts, seven is the number that you get on each opposite side of a die, which together makes twenty-one, which leads to 2+1 which is?'

'Three,' replied Annabeth with a smile. 'But let's circle back to the three and five from the prophecy. There's us two, Percy, Hazel and Leo for the five. You, Leo and Hazel have actually been dead, but you, Percy and Hazel are the only ones with a connection to Camp Jupiter.'

'There are three male, two female. You, me and Leo are the only three not connected to a Big Three parent. The list goes on, Annabeth.'

Annabeth groaned and threw the book on the floor. 'This is so useless, we can't do anything but watch. If we can't figure this out, I might as well book myself a room in a psychiatric hospital when Arachne comes 'round again.'

'That bad huh?'

'You wouldn't believe me if I told you. Not even Tartarus is that bad and that place was bad.'

'You still dream about it though,' said Sam. 'I heard you two mumbling in your sleep,' he continued when she gave him a confused look. 'The toxic wasteland and fire?'

Annabeth Chase sighed. 'That place is going to haunt us forever. It's been nearly a decade since we returned and we still have dreams.'

'I have dreams as well,' said Sam. 'Not of Tartarus, but they are still dreams.'

'Your dad?'

Sam nodded. 'How'd you guess?'

'Lou once mentioned something and we watched your fight in the labyrinth three years ago. You didn't look that good. Pissed off but not good.'

'It's those images that I can't seem to forget. Of him lying there, blood dripping everywhere, my leg hurting. Aria showed me them, again and again. And the aftermath of that. There I was, no father, unknown mother, no holy trinity. Just me.'

'Trinity?'

'You know, mom, dad and child. A family.'

'And now we have ourselves another trinity,' said a voice from the shadows. 'Of two patients who should be asleep and one doctor who is going to have to order some extra restraints.' Harley stared at both of them. 'Get back inside.'

* * *

Three days later the five of them were discharged as no other occurrences had happened, but they agreed to be chaperoned around camp for extra safety.

Sam and Leo, alongside John and Piper, were at Bunker 9 trying to get the mecha to work more efficiently.

'So, we've made a mesh grid instead of a full cockpit in order to bring down the weight,' explained Nyssa going over the plans. 'We're dropping the shield in order to go for two handed weapons, again to lower the overall weight.'

'What's with the iron-bronze mix?' asked Leo.

'It's a sturdier metal than just bronze and it's easier to use,' said George. 'We've analysed the data and I think we're ready for another test run.'

'Could you do something to it for me?' asked Sam glossing over a piece of paper.

'What?' asked George staring at the blue prints.

'Add these symbols on part of the plating. John, are these alright for enchantments?'

The eldest mage took a look and nodded. 'These will do the trick, but what is that one?' John pointed at the rectangle with a large X connecting all four corners with a circle in the middle.

'Upgraded shield, based on a scutum,' replied Sam with a shrug.

John grinned. 'Of course, the Roman bloodline.'

Sam said his goodbyes as he was to be at the archery range in ten minutes for his mandatory archery lessons. Much to his annoyance, Piper offered to chaperone him there. When he protested, John and Piper only smiled.

'How are you feeling?' asked the twenty-four year old daughter of Aphrodite.

'Good, haven't had any dreams for the past three nights, so I'm pretty sure it's over for now.'

'That's nice.'

The two left cabin nine and continued their way to the archery range. As they strolled around camp, teams of three kept watch across several points along the borders. Sam spotted a team of Hunters standing next to the main entrance of camp.

'So, how's it like, being part of two prophecies?' asked Piper. It was no secret that Piper was more affiliated with the Seven, while Sam was more connected to his mage siblings, so they never really talked before.

'To be honest? It isn't the nicest thing. The first one got me carrying the fate of the world on my shoulders and had me killed. And by the look of this one, it is not going to be any easier. But you would know, right? You're Piper McLean, one of the Seven, skilled dagger fighter and charmspeaker.'

Piper smiled and stared at Sam giving him a look that would make any classic movie actress jealous. 'I did not realize that you could use that tongue for something else than snarky comments.'

'I do try to. No, seriously, you're _the_ Piper McLean.'

'Yeah well, I was kind off taken by surprise that I was chosen for the Seven, you know? I was a freshman camper, so were Leo and Hazel. If we hadn't had Annabeth and Percy, we wouldn't have made it.'

'Yeah, getting thrown into the whole "you're a demigod"-thing and go on a world saving quest might be a bit much.'

'And taking out three quarters of an army using raw magic isn't? People were kind off mad after you came back, right?'

'Don't mention it. My fingers still tingle every time I heard the words sandpaper and porch in the same sentence.'

Piper laughed at that as they had arrived at the range. The range had been upgraded over the past years. It now had ten lanes with moveable targets in all sizes and shapes. Sam saw that most corridors were occupied by either Apollo campers or Hunters of Artemis. He walked over to one of the empty lanes where his instructor was waiting, or rather instructors.

'Eve, Lianne,' Sam greeted his instructors. 'Suzan set this up, didn't she?' he continued pointing at them.

'Oh no, Eve is your instructor for today, I'm only here for some target practice and to make fun of you,' said the daughter of Ares turned Hunter with a twinkle in her brown eyes that meant nothing good. She picked up her bow and nocked an arrow. The arrow flew and struck the bullseye.

'Like Lianne said, you're mine for the next three hours.'

Sam fell silent and stared at her. 'Three hours, no that's not… But there are others who need to practice.'

'You've skipped two of my classes to either get hospitalized or work on the mecha, I will have my three hours and you will fire arrows from that bow until your fingers…'

'Blister and bleed,' finished Sam with a sigh.

'And no magic either. I want pure human power, mortal accuracy and manly tears.' Eve handed Sam a bow and placed a quiver of arrows next to him.

'You're plain evil,' said the son of Hecate as he tried nocking an arrow.

'I know,' replied the daughter of Apollo with a laugh. 'You need to line up the notch with the string.'

'I'm trying.'

Eve guided Sam's fingers as he held the bow and string in front of him. Sam felt the arrow slip onto the string. Eve pulled the arrow off and ordered him to do it again. And again. And again.

'You're not evil, but purposely cruel,' spat Sam after Eve pulled the arrow free again for the hundredth time.

'Close your eyes,' ordered Eve. 'And nock the arrow.'

Sam closed his eyes and placed the arrow near the string. He moved his fingers and felt the arrow slip into place. He opened his eyes and saw Lianne giving him a congratulatory nod before firing another arrow into the bullseye.

'And now you should be able to do that with your eyes closed,' said Eve. 'Now, let's move on to drawing back the string.'

Sam felt his arms starting to ache, but only focused on the bow and arrow.

* * *

After three gruelling hours it was pretty clear that, like swords, Sam would never master the weapon to its full extent.

'You're never going to be a master archer, without the use of any magical boosts,' added Eve. 'But you should be able to use one if the situation asks for it.'

'And if your target is standing at ten feet from you,' added Lianne with a grin.

Sam flipped her off as he stared at his collection of arrows embedded in the dirt.

'Just practice it with stronger bows and you should be getting better,' said Eve. 'But maybe it couldn't hurt to ask John and Lou for some warrior magic.'

'Jee, really supportive guys,' pouted Sam.

'We don't do fluffy at the Hunters, either you're good or you get better,' said Lianne.

'Don't expect lies from me,' said Eve. 'I know we don't need those either. But I will need those arrows back. You're still mine for another five minutes.'

'Yeah and I'm going to Mist and Magic training after this, so hurray me,' said Sam as he walked onto the empty lanes and started picking up the arrows. He glanced back at Eve and Lianne who were chatting away.

Dark clouds gathered blocking out the sun. Within moments, thunder and rain filled the air. Sam raised his hood to keep the rain away. Lightning flashed.

'Sam?'

He looked up and saw him standing there. Black jacket with white ace of spades. Glasses getting covered in raindrops. The smile that always brightened his day.

'Dad?' Sam dropped the arrows in the wet sand. 'It can't be you. I said my goodbyes.'

'Come here,' said Paul Winter holding open his arms for a hug.

Sam walked over his father. No, he ran and grabbed him in a hug as the first tears rolled down his cheeks. 'Dad.'

'Yeah, I'm here.'

Sam buried his face in his neck. The fabric of his jacket felt familiar, yet so different, colder. 'It's really you.'

'Of course it's me. Why wouldn't it be me?'

'Because you're dead,' replied Sam. The rain had him soaking wet. He heard someone calling out his name.

'And who's fault is that?' said his father.

'Mine.'

'Yes it is, and this is what could've been.'

Sam broke free and stared at his father. Golden eyes stared back. His jacket seemed to melt and morph into a pair of wings. Black hands pushed against his chest and held his head.

'Now you will see,' said a female voice before vanishing.

Thunder roared through the skies.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8 :) The tension and pressure on the demigods is rising! Will they succeed? Read all about it. Enjoy and review.**

* * *

 **Chapter 8 Temple**

'What happened?' asked Chiron as Lianne dropped Sam on a bed.

'We don't know,' said Eve as she washed her hands and gloved up. 'We were at the range, practicing archery. He was picking up the arrows and then the storm came and he fell down. He's been muttering nonsense ever since.'

'What's going on here?' asked Lianne as Chiron led her out of the room.

The entire trauma room was filled with healers, medics and other people trying to get a hold on the situation. Percy Jackson was crying and seemed to be choking. He muttered Annabeth's name every few seconds as well as the word mom. Medics were getting him in restraints as his flailing had already caused several bruises. Lianne spotted Gina grabbing his hand as she restrained it.

Annabeth Chase was screaming her lungs out only to stop mentioning Percy's name. From what Lianne got, she was seeing spiders again. The Hunter shuddered as she was placed into her own set of restraints by McLean and Reyna.

The daughter of Pluto was being comforted by Frank Zhang and Nico as the healers examined her. Gems appeared at Hazel's bare feet, while black tears slowly streamed down her cheeks. She kept saying that she was sorry.

'Where is he?'

Lianne turned around and saw Suzan and Mia coming through the doors. She pointed to the nearest bed where Eve and Jesse stood doing a basic examination. The two mages walked over and waited. As if the chaos wasn't enough, the doors slammed open and John and Herman, a big Hephaestus camper, came walking in. Between them they carried Leo Valdez who was wrapped in John's cloak.

'We need some help,' yelled John.

Two medics walked over and guided Leo to a free bed.

'He's been releasing fire ever since that storm hit,' said John. 'The cloak will hold it at bay for now, but not for much longer.

'Alright,' said Helen. 'Now get out. All non-medical personnel, out of the room. Now!' she yelled.

'We're not leaving,' said Nico defiantly.

'Nico, get out,' said Will as he and Harley walked in. 'All of you, get going. You can wait in the waiting area or at your cabins, we will come and get you if something changes. Trust me, you don't want to be here.'

'Alright people, you heard the man,' said Harley pointing at the door.

Bewildered and glaring, they all left the room, leaving nothing but medical personnel in the room.

'Now let's get this show on the road,' said Harley as she closed the large sliding door.

* * *

'Status?' asked Harley standing next to Sam's bed.

'Stable, vitals are fine. Seems to be seeing things,' said Eve. 'He was outside at the start of the storm. This might be the same as before.'

'Alright, keep an eye out for anything magic related. And take off his prosthetic leg, that stump is raw again,' said Harley as the two went to work.

'How's Hazel?' she asked Aria, the daughter of Lype, and Emma, her younger sister.

'Her temperature is low, she's hallucinating something about an island. Her tears are black, if I didn't know better I'd say that they are oil,' said Emma.

'I concur,' said Aria before Hazel shot up and threw up a mixture of black sludge filled with sparkling bits.

'That are ores,' said Harley as she helped her medics clean up their patient. 'Okay, Hazel is having hallucinations about something that happened on an island, and her symptoms are based on Pluto's domain of the riches of the earth. Try to raise her temperature and give her some meds against the nausea. Do not touch those gems, they might be cursed. You treat her in full isolation gear, understood? Move her to a separate room.'

Both nodded as they moved the bed out of the room.

Will was watching his friends. 'How's Percy?'

'His saturation is low. It seems as if he's choking on something, but his lungs are clear and so is his throat. He's seeing things like the other, but he's soaking wet. So I'm thinking he's drowning and slowly losing the control over his powers.'

'Move him and Annabeth to a separate room and hook him to an oxygen tank. How's Annabeth?'

'Shortness of breath after screaming for thirty minutes,' said Elise, a daughter of Panacea. 'Her temperature is high and the restraints are for her own and our safety.'

'Hook her up to a tank and get her temperature down,' ordered Will. 'And get her some mittens, those nails are sharp.'

Before they could take them out of the room, Leo engulfed himself in flames, setting his bedsheets on fire. One of the medics dressed in a gown was quickly burning as well. The team grabbed a fire extinguisher and doused their patient with it. With the fire put out, someone cleaned Leo's quivering face.

'Get all of them in a separate room,' said Harley. 'And there always have to be at least two of you in each room. Have one of the coordinators set up a schedule for the shifts.'

Two days later and none of the major symptoms had been cleared. Percy still showed signs of drowning, while Annabeth was still hallucinating things, with signs of paralysis and aphasia. Hazel was still throwing up sludge and ores, while materializing gems by her feet. The black tears had stopped, but that was mostly because she had cried so much that there were no more tears.

Leo had burst into fits of flames every so often while his hands started to show signs of arthritis. The only one who had nothing but the hallucinations was Sam, but everyone was anxious as to when he exploded.

'I don't have any good news to tell you all,' said Harley with a sigh as she threw five charts on the table.

Around the table sat a group of demigods consisting of friends and family of the fallen and Chiron.

'Tell us what you know,' said Chiron.

'The overall status hasn't changed, we still have to battle the symptoms to which I don't know the cause. Annabeth has shown a little improvement with her temperature, as did Hazel for a couple of hours last night. Percy is getting worse, while we can't treat Leo properly as my medics get burned every time they try to treat him. The only one who is relatively stable is Sam, but he's having constant visions, and hasn't slept for over eighteen hours, while the others faint every once in a while. I am considering sedating him for his own good. Maybe the others as well.'

'Sedate them?' asked Reyna.

'They need rest, Reyna,' said Malcolm. 'Putting them in a coma might be the only way to battle this.'

'Only as a last resort,' said Harley. 'I don't have the equipment to handle that in here for five of them.'

'For how many?' asked Piper.

'Two at the most, three if I stretch the means that I have. We'd need hart lung machines, we'd need to get them full of tubes to feed them and let them release, and then there's the complications.'

'Three be yearned,' said Jason grimly.

'You're the doctor, fix them,' said Gina. 'My brother is in there.'

'So, is ours,' said John. 'And she's doing everything she can.'

'That's not enough,' said Frank. 'We need them to fight whatever is after us, after them. Please Harley, you need to save them.'

'I am trying,' said Harley softly.

'Then try harder,' spoke Nico icily. 'I will not lose her.'

'Enough,' growled Harley. 'All of you, get out. I will not sit here and have you coming after me. I am doing my very best to get them cured, but I am at a loss here.'

Suddenly bright lights filled the room. Out of the lights stepped gods. They were the godly parents of the fallen. Poseidon and Hades stared at their children in the room and then to Harley.

'Oh no, you need to get out,' said Harley. 'I don't need any more meddling.'

'My son is being attacked and I have a right to know what is happening to him,' said Poseidon as he gripped the trident.

'He's dying,' said Harley evenly. 'So are Annabeth and Hazel. Leo is losing his mind and Sam is about to crash. As far as I am concerned he's my main problem.'

'Why is Sam Parker so important?' asked Hephaestus.

'Because,' spat Harley. 'He's the greatest mage that has walked the face of the earth and he's losing his mind and the last of the control over his powers. You have all seen what he can do if he goes over the top.'

'What can we do?' asked Athena.

'You can visit them for five minutes and then you need to leave, all of you.'

'Who are you to command gods?' asked Poseidon harshly. He pointed his trident at Harley.

The medic walked over to the god and spoke: 'My patients, my hospital, my temple. You have five minutes and then you need to let them rest.' Her eyes glowed as a staff encircled by a snake appeared in her hands.

Athena gripped Poseidon's shoulder and lead him out of the room. Gods and demigods followed suit leaving only Chiron.

'Tell me the truth, Joanne, can you save them?'

'No, but I will,' spoke the medic.

* * *

Later that night Joanne Harley sat in her office. She was studying the files of her patients, but couldn't figure things out. She poured herself another glass and sipped it.

'I never approved of that remedy for the nerves,' said a voice from the door opening.

Harley looked up and saw a salt-and-peppered haired man looking at her. He carried his own black staff with a snake coiled around it. The snake hissed.

'Nice to see you too Spike,' said Harley as she took another sip. 'What are you doing here, father?'

Asclepius sighed as his wrinkles deepened. 'It's been a while since you've prayed for my help. Last time was when you were operating on that boy.'

'Before I actually knew that you were my father and that I was a demigod. I see that you told Emma sooner.'

'We have to,' replied the god. 'The new laws.'

'Of course.'

'Joanne,' said the god. 'Are you alright? You haven't slept properly for three days.'

'I haven't because I have the fate of the world hanging in the balance. Without the full Seven, we don't stand a chance. And Poseidon will have my head.'

'What have you been trying?'

'We've fought off some symptoms, but it doesn't seem to be permanent. It's as if their bodies are being forced to give up. I take it that the visions are doing that.'

'Their brains are reacting to things that aren't happening,' said the god. 'But why are you only treating the symptoms and not the cause?'

'Because we don't know who's behind all of this.'

'It's pretty easy to figure that out. There are only a handful of gods and monsters who have this power. And you can ignore the Olympians and minor gods.'

'That leaves us with Gaea and the Titans and Giants,' replied Harley as she downed the glass. A large glass of water appeared in its place. 'Pandora is also an option.' Harley glared at her father.

'She doesn't have her eyes,' said Asclepius. 'She can't fully recuperate.'

'The protogenoi then,' said Harley. 'They are powerful and some of them have held grudges for millennia.'

'One of them is connected to them. And what are you doing to relieve the symptoms?'

'The usual. Oxygen, fluids, vitamins. The whole circus.'

'Those are mortal possibilities,' said Asclepius. 'What do you have in common with them?'

'I have no time to play games,' growled Harley.

Asclepius just shrugged and motioned for her to continue. With a wave of his hand, the files were flung open. 'What are they?'

'They are patients, two female, three male. They all came back from the dead one way or the other.'

'What are they?'

'They're demigods and heroes.'

'That's your answer,' replied her father with a smile. 'Harley, there is a reason why I asked Chiron to accept you as their doctor. You are a brilliant doctor for the mortals, but you have so much to learn about the other side. And you are never alone.'

Harley stared at her father and to the files. 'They're demigods. Children of the gods.'

'Use your knowledge of that to heal them.' The god of healing stood up.

'Dad,' said Harley. The god turned around. 'Thanks.'

Spike hissed before they disappeared.

Moments later Harley barged into the waiting room where gods and demigods waited for her. They all stared at her.

'I need your help,' said the medic.

'What can we do?' asked Athena.

Harley smiled.

* * *

The next morning, Harley and her team were busy assigning several new tasks to the medics and helpers. The storm was still brewing overhead.

'Alright people, listen up,' said Will.

Harley glanced at her notes and cleared her throat. 'We will move Annabeth Chase and Percy Jackson into the same room. Percy Jackson will be placed into a specially designed tank to accelerate his healing, while Annabeth Chase will be subjected to a specialized therapy.

Leo Valdez will also be treated with specialized therapy consisting of him being given mechanical tasks to complete. Calypso will brief and don the caretakers in a minute.

Hazel Levesque will also be placed into a modified bed for treatment, more about that in a minute.

Sam Parker will be treated by myself personally for specialized therapy. Caretakers who will join me will be briefed in a minute.

Caretakers, please join your team leader. Is everything clear?'

People acknowledged her and people joined their leaders.

Harley turned to the assembled gods. 'Poseidon, Athena and Aphrodite to room 1, Pluto to Hazel in room 2, Hephaestus in room 3 with Leo, Hecate in room 4 with Sam. Come on, we don't have all day.'

'Who are you to boss us around?' asked Aphrodite who had been summoned by the other gods.

'My hospital, my temple. I here, In am the god, so move.'

Poseidon and Athena tried to hide their grins as a shocked Aphrodite stared at Harley who walked them to room 1.

Room 1 was a two people room with two hospital beds, one of which had been transformed into a tank on wheels by Cabin 9 and Hephaestus. An unconscious Percy laid inside, a full face mask strapped to his face, waterproofed wires were tap hooked up to the machines and his chest. According to Harley's crude design, the tank was made of sturdy enchanted glass with reinforced bronze corners. Each side of the tank had two holes in it, in which the medics placed metal holders with rubber gloves that enabled the user to treat a submerged patient. Other equipment had been built in such as a stethoscope and underwater syringe system that was already hooked to Percy's arm.

'What is this?' asked Poseidon.

'An empty water tank,' replied Harley. 'I need you to fill it up with cool, but not ice cold sea water. Once we do that we can start monitoring his progress. Sea water works better than fresh water as you are the god of the sea.'

'Of course,' said Athena. 'You are going to use their divine side for the better.'

Harley nodded. 'For Annabeth, I have something in mind that will play into her power of wisdom. For starters you can slowly rip out the pages of that book. It's her favourite. Read some books to her, talk about her father, her fear of spiders, whatever as long as it plays into her strengths not weaknesses. Can you handle this?'

'I am the goddess of Wisdom and Warfare, of course I can.'

'Good. I will leave Will and Donny as their caretakers, they will be rotated every four hours.'

'Go help the others,' said Aphrodite. 'We've got this.'

Harley walked over to room two to check up on Hazel. The demigod had also been placed into a bed filled with fresh earth supplied by the Demeter cabin. Frank and Pluto sat on the chairs watching the medics do the initial check-up. Hazel clasped her golden spatha into her hands.

Room three had been transformed into a sweltering forge by cranking up the heat and Hephaestus hammering on an anvil. Small mechanical parts laid in the metal table hovering over Leo's fire and demigod-proof bed. His caretakers did the initial check-up wearing fire proof clothes, gowns and masks created by Calypso who was also dressed for medic duty. They had been given reinforced medical utilities to use on a flaming Leo.

'Calypso, come and get me if you need anything.'

'We can handle this, go save Sam,' replied the healer from behind her mask. Her regular braid was tucked into a fire proof cap. Her eyes smiled. 'Thanks.'

'It's my job. Report in a hour.'

Harley closed the door and rubbed her brow with a cloth. She breathed in and opened the door of room for. The single room had a bed with a young demigod in it. He was wearing his cloak and a pair of shorts. Sam was mumbling something but Harley couldn't make out what he was saying.

Hecate was sitting on a chair next to Sam and held his hand. John and Suzan sat on another chair and windowsill respectively waiting.

'What do you have in mind for Sam?' asked John.

'Therapy focused on magic and his passions,' replied Harley. 'I need you to clear the room and let me do my thing. Lady Hecate, I need you to join Pluto in Hazel's room. Something about her mother.'

'Alright,' said Hecate before kissing Sam on his forehead. 'Please call me if you need anything. John, Suzan, let her work. Suzan, could you call Anne-Marie? She must be here.'

Suzan nodded before casting a spell on the ceiling. The white pain darkened and showed a starry sky. John guided her out.

Harley breathed in and out. 'Here we go.' She moved his cloak and shorts to expose the raw stump. She donned gloves and picked up the materials she needed to clean up the wound before healing it.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: The ninth chapter :) We are nearing the end of the second arc. Stakes are high and there will be consequences.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own the PJO characters.**

 **A shout out to "child of artimes" who was kind enough to leave a review: I'm sorry that my story confuses you. But based on your review I take it that you've only read chapter 1, which in all fairness is basically an introductory chapter. Things become clearer in later chapters. But to be sure: Sam is a son of Hecate with Suzan being his camp counselor and half-sibling, Sarah is his adoptive sister and Jesse is his current girlfriend. Too bad you don't like the story, but it is what it is.**

* * *

 **Chapter 9:** **Trinity**

Hours passed and Harley got reports from the others. Percy was doing slightly better, so was Hazel. Leo seemed to have less frequent outbursts. Only Annabeth and Sam weren't showing any responses to the treatment.

'How's he doing?' asked Lou as she walked in.

'Physically he's doing fine, but it's the mumbling that has me worried. This is what I've been able to figure out.' Harley showed her a notebook.

'"Dad", "I got an A", "Why don't I have a mom?", "Special camp". Those last two are about his demigod heritage. That are things he couldn't have asked his father,' said Lou.

The two stared at a silent Sam. Harley played around with Sam's deck of cards.

Suddenly the door was thrown open and Will barged in. 'Harley, we need you in room 1.'

'Lou, keep him focussed on the cards, I'll be back.'

The two medics rushed to the room and found Annabeth Chase crashing, her heartbeat steadily dropping, whilst her temperature was spiking. Medics were pushing in meds whilst Poseidon held a teary eyed Athena.

Harley took over command and stared at Annabeth. 'Come on Chase, you're not dying today.'

Annabeth seized up and rasped Percy's name followed by a whispered Arachne. Harley held her down while Will checked her vitals. Tears streamed down her face.

Harley took a step back and stared at Percy who was screaming in his mask. Aphrodite was staring at him too. Was the goddess crying?

'Move!' said Harley as she released the brakes and pushed Annabeth's bed against Percy's. The sea water moved in the tank. 'Get her arm into one of the gloves.' Danny did that and guided her arm to Percy's. Her hand gripped his and squeezed.

'Annabeth, listen to my voice,' said Will. 'You are not facing off against Arachne, or Tartarus. You are holding Percy's hand. Open your eyes and see for yourself.'

'Hey Chase,' said Harley. 'Your plans are nothing compared to what I've seen Malcolm design for New Athens. I think we ought to give him the credit for it. You'd still be mentioned, but more likely as a footnote.'

Annabeth stirred and opened her eyes. She called out to Percy as she squeezed his hand.

'What are you saying?' asked Athena.

'Hubris is a bitch, isn't it, Annie?' continued Harley breathing in Annabeth's face. 'You'd work so hard, but you wouldn't be remembered. Percy would leave you for Rachel, and what you be then? A failed architect with a penchant for owls.'

'Screw you, Joanne,' coughed Annabeth. 'I'll design the greatest city that you've ever seen and you won't be allowed in it. Gods, my head hurts. How's Percy?'

'Annabeth, are you alright?' asked Will checking her vitals.

'Yeah, but I could do with an aspirin,' replied the daughter of Athena. 'Why is Percy lying in a tank filled with water?'

'That's a long story, but it seems he's doing better now that you are too.'

Percy turned his head and stared at Annabeth with a smile. He squeezed her hand.

* * *

He was standing on the streets. Thunder and lightning rolled through the sky. The Empire State Building was encircled by dark clouds. Sam looked down and saw a layer of snow and wriggled his toes. All ten of them.

'Without them, you could've lived a normal life,' said the dark figure standing next to him. She smiled.

'I know, but that didn't happen. They took him from me, they have taken so much from me.'

'You are not the first nor the last. They forced demigod to fight their battles for centuries, nearly destroying the world twice. Both Greek and Roman gods must be stopped. For their children's sake.'

'You tried to kill them too,' replied the demigod. 'I've heard the story about how Percy and Annabeth escaped Nyx, goddess of the Night, the First of the Protogenoi.' Sam smiled.

'They tricked me. In a fair fight I could've wiped them off the face of the earth,' said Nyx with a growl.

'And now they have beaten you again. They broke free from your influence and you can't touch them anymore.'

Nyx laughed as smoke and ash from the wreckage of the cars floated through the air. 'I've been planning this for a while, dear Sam. They haven't won yet.'

'I take it that you're thinking about Typhon who has been raging? He's that storm, right? With some of the gods busy with the demigods, Olympus is quite vulnerable.'

'You're smarter than you look, Sam,' spoke the goddess. 'But not smart enough, I will have my vengeance one way or the other. There are more ways than one to hurt someone.' Nyx waved her hand and Sam was shown an image. It was his house. The door was blown open and suddenly Sarah came into view, pencil clasped in her hand like a dagger.

'You won't be able to save them.'

* * *

Hazel recovered after Hecate and Pluto talked to her about her past sacrifices. Frank talked about their future together and was finally able to snap her out of the control by giving her a kiss like Sleeping Beauty. Franks show of love made Hecate and Pluto lift the curse that had plagued her since birth. After an hour of solid rest, Hazel was no longer spewing up ores and dirt, although it took her a while to clean off the dirt from her spatha.

Leo snapped out of her control as Calypso and Piper played into his fears of being the seventh wheel. They acknowledged that he was an essential part of their lives. It was a miniature Festus that had awakened him by biting his finger after which Leo swore in Spanish.

The only one who was still trapped in the enemies clutches was Sam. The mages and friends had tried everything, from his axes to playing cards, but nothing snapped him out of the shrouds of Mist.

'I don't know why it isn't working, it did for the others,' said Harley as she took his vitals again. 'They've all healed because they overcame their flaws. Love helped as well.'

'I can't get a hold of Anne-Marie or Sarah,' said Suzan. 'I'll try again later.' The mages had gathered in his room.

'You are not allowed to die,' said Lou as tears filled her eyes. 'You just can't give up.'

'Stop it,' whined Sam suddenly. 'Just stop it.'

'Sam?' asked John.

'If you hurt her, I will eradicate you,' he growled. 'Get out of my head, my father is dead and buried. Lou, if you can hear this, check up on Sarah. No, don't please don't. Dad, I'm sorry, it was my fault. I'm sorry I couldn't save you.' Tears streamed down his face. Magical energy was being released into the room.

'He's charging magic,' said Jade. 'We need to do something.'

'Suzan, call Sarah again,' said Hecate. 'Mages, get everybody out of here. I'll contain the outburst if necessary. Harley, go.' The goddess of magic tried staring the medic down.

'No. My patient, my temple. My responsibility.' Harley checked his pupils.

'Then you stay,' replied the goddess as she started drawing protective sigils.

* * *

The Seven had all gathered in Percy and Annabeth's room. Four of them were still strapped to an IV stand. The elder mages had joined them as did Reyna and Nico.

'How's he doing?' asked Annabeth.

'They don't know,' said Lou. 'He's seeing things.'

'What do we do now?' asked Nico.

'We go after whoever is after us,' said Poseidon. 'That storm is not natural.'

Before Athena could respond, two Iris messages appeared in the room.

'Annabeth,' spoke Frederick Chase. He was sitting in near darkness. Soft cries could be heard from the background. 'Are you alright?'

'Dad?' replied Annabeth. 'I am fine. Is something wrong?'

'Please deposit another drachma for five minutes,' said a voice out of nowhere.

Jason quickly threw a coin at the message.

'Percy, oh gods, are you alright?' asked a woman who had long brown hair and pretty blue eyes. In her hands she clasped a bronze dagger.

'Sally?' asked Poseidon.

'Frederick,' said Athena.

'No time to talk,' said Frederick. 'Some monsters attacked us at home. Not sure what it is, but it's looking for us. We're hiding in the attic. Annabeth, Athena, I love you both.'

'Don't say that,' said Athena.

'Describe the monster dad,' said Annabeth.

'White skin, ruby eyes, I think one of them had donkey legs. Women.'

'Empousai,' said Athena. 'Hecate's monsters.' The goddess stared at the mages.

'Mom did not send them, she has been here since all of this happened,' said Lou defiantly.

'Frederick?' asked Sally. 'Are you also under attack?'

'Mom, are you okay?' asked Percy. They heard faint wailing in the background.

'Please deposited more drachma's…' People threw coins at the images.

'We were at the park and suddenly lightning struck the tree next to us,' said Sally. 'The storm seems to be following us. Percy, I've spotted cyclops in the city.'

'Where are you?' asked the son of Poseidon.

'East side of Central Park.'

'Hang tight, we will be there in a second.'

The door flew open and Harley and Suzan barged in. 'Sam charged himself with magic,' gasped Harley. 'He disappeared in a flash.'

'Neither Sarah or Anne-Marie are responding,' added Suzan.

Hecate appeared in the room. 'I can get you there.'

'Let's go,' said Athena and Poseidon in unison as Percy and Annabeth climbed out of bed.

'You can't go out there,' said Harley as she tried grabbing them.

'Yes we can,' replied Percy uncapping Riptide.

Hecate nodded and in an instant Harley found herself standing in a near empty room beside Hazel, Frank, and Leo

'Let's get you two back to bed,' sighed Harley.

* * *

They arrived at Central Park. Poseidon had changed himself in a vagrant, while Percy, Jason and Nico grabbed their weapons. Quickly they scanned the area. Smoke was coming from a couple of trees, while winds were picking up.

'Go,' said Poseidon.

The four of them ran towards the smoke. The first monsters appeared as they spotted Sally defending Paul and Estelle with her dagger. A small cyclops stood before her, flanked by four Scythian dracaena.

The thunder rumbled and a bolt of lightning nearly touched Nico. Jason deflected the next one as Nico and Percy advanced and killed the dracaena with swift slashes. Poseidon simply picked up the cyclops and transformed him in bubbles who floated away.

'Mom, are you okay?' asked Percy as he recapped Riptide and hugged his mother.

'I am now,' replied Sally. 'Thanks for coming.'

'Percy? Oh thank god,' said Paul Blofis as he shielded Estelle. He stared at Poseidon. 'Thank you.'

'The pleasure is all mine,' said the sea god.

Meanwhile at the house of Frederick Chase, Athena and the girls drew their weapons. As they arrived in the kitchen, they made sure they were not being ambushed. Voices were heard.

'They can't be far,' said a voice. 'The old man had a dagger in his hands so he know how to defend himself, but those boys and woman are ours.'

'They are not here,' said another. 'Have we checked all the floors?'

'They are still here,' said the third. 'I smell the boys.'

Annabeth gripped her blade and quickly moved towards the voices, pursued by her mother and friends.

'Hey ugly,' said Piper as she saw the first one. 'Care for a snack?' Piper taunted the empousa by twirling her blade.

The one closest to her jumped from the stairs towards. In mid-flight she vanished in gold dust as an arrow embedded itself in her neck. The goddess of Warfare nocked another arrow and fired it coming out of her cover, but the two remaining empousai dodged the projectile by jumping to cover.

The second one created a fireball and threw it at Reyna who had come out of protection to join Piper, but it was deflected by the daughter of Bellona and the woman was killed by a dagger thrown by Annabeth.

'Drop your weapons,' commanded the third.

Reluctantly the girls dropped their weapons.

'Number four step forward.'

Gracefully Athena stepped forward. In the moment of confusion by the empousa, the goddess pierced her heart with the spear she carried. The monster vanished in a storm of owl feathers.

'Bobby, Matthew,' yelled Annabeth going up the stairs.

The girls were greeted by a hysteric Helen and twins and Frederick who still carried Annabeth's old dagger.

'Thank the gods,' said Frederick with a weary smile.

* * *

They appeared at the broken front door. Splinters of painted wood had been scattered on the steps and in the hallway. The scent of burnt flesh hung in the air.

The four mages armed themselves before entering the house. Piles of dust filled with arrows were scattered in the hallway. A broken door creaked as John pushed it open with his sword. More piles of dust. A golden dagger and sword laid among rubble. Magic filled the air.

Broken furniture was pierced with arrows. A cyclops with a pencil in his eye vanished with a wail. They found him holding her in his arms. His cloak was still smouldering. Traces of fire lined the walls. Anne-Marie was lying on the remains of a couch, while Sam held an unconscious Sarah in his arms.

The two adults had defensive wounds on their arms and legs. Ryan Parker had been stabbed straight through the chest by at least two blades. Anne-Marie still clasped the bow in her hand while her face was contorted in pain. A wound in her abdomen was already festering.

'Sam,' spoke Hecate. 'Give Sarah to me, we have to get her to camp.'

'I wasn't fast enough,' said Sam as he recoiled from his mother's gesture. Tears streamed from his eyes. 'I could've saved them.'

'You couldn't,' said Suzan as she held his shoulders. 'Nobody could've.'

John and Lou had summoned sheets to cover the bodies. Sam slumped against the couch as Hecate grabbed Sarah from his hands. Suzan hugged her brother as he cried among the rubble of the living room.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10 is here :)**

* * *

 **Chapter 10: Iron Titan**

The machines hummed and beeped as they registered her heartbeat. Sam stared at her chest that moved up and down. Sarah had suffered head trauma by a blunt weapon as well as bruises and scratches. Her hair had been braided by the nurses to keep it from the wound and dressing. He held her hand as thoughts swam through his head.

'You wanted to talk to me?' asked Reyna as she closed the door.

Sam turned to the praetor. 'I do. Is there something special we need to do?'

'Something special?' Reyna took a seat opposite of Sam. 'You're talking about the funerals?'

Sam nodded. 'Among others. They always talked about being cremated, but I don't know if the Romans have different traditions than the Greeks.' Sam grimaced and popped off his leg.

'We have the same traditions at the camps, although we usually burn Romans with coffins. Hazel and Nico have volunteered to take care of them until the time is there.' Reyna reached for his shoulder. 'Some of the Apollo campers have asked if they can help with designing the shrouds. You don't have to do this alone.'

'I know,' replied Sam turning his attention back on Sarah.

'What is that other thing you wanted to talk about?'

'About her.' Sam nodded at Sarah. 'What happens next? Do we send her to camp? Does she need those special letters? I don't know if mom and dad have those.'

'You don't need to worry about that now,' said Reyna comfortingly. 'I guess that Lupa will take her when she wakes up, as she'll need to join the legion.'

'Alright. Thanks for the information.'

'Let us know when you're ready,' finished Reyna before standing up and leaving the room.

Sam felt his throat closing up. His vision blurred up as he grabbed his head in frustration. Tears stained the bedsheets.

* * *

'How is he holding up?' asked Annabeth.

'He asked if there's anything special that needs to be done for their funerals, so I'm guessing that he is trying to get his head around it,' replied Reyna as she took a seat in the waiting room.

Hecate was still looking after Lou, who had complained of pain when they had returned from the scene.

'Any ideas on who is responsible?' asked Percy.

'Cyclops most likely, although something must've sent them as they bypassed Sam's protection,' replied John as he took a swig of nectar.

They fell silent again as the second couplet had been completed.

After a couple of hours, Sam walked towards the Big House. He had heard about the meeting between the leaders of the community to discuss further steps. As he walked up the porch he heard the voices.

'This could be the thing that set's him over the edge,' said Reyna. 'He's lost people he loves dearly. Remember what I told you about a son of magic breaking Olympus.'

'We know,' replied Piper. 'But come on, the kid's just lost his family, again. We can't go after him.'

'The gods are angry at each other,' continued Chiron. 'Poseidon has accused Zeus of attacking Sally and the family, whilst Ares is being targeted for yet another war on the horizon.'

Sam opened the door and stared at the people sitting in front of him. 'It's Nyx. She's after Percy and Annabeth because they humiliated her. I was targeted because she's wanted me out of the picture.'

'Sam,' said Thalia as she rose, but Sam stopped her.

'She went after the easiest to control to disrupt the entire community. Set up Rome against Greece, whilst also splitting up the gods. She hid Typhon from the gods. He's the storm.'

'Kings's bane and fear,' said Annabeth with a gasp. 'Of course. We must tell the gods.'

'Did she tell you anything else?' asked a pale Nico. Sam guessed that he had been up all night to prepare the bodies.

'She won't rest until she has had her revenge.' Sam turned around and walked towards the door. Before leaving he turned to Reyna. 'But neither will I.'

* * *

Sam immediately transported himself to Bunker 9 where George and Marie were working on the mecha and other projects. He walked over to the table and took a seat.

'Sam,' started the brown haired, but grey eyed daughter of Athena. 'I'm sorry.' She gave him a hug.

'Thanks.'

'How are you holding up?'

'They'd send a message if Sarah wakes up, but I couldn't sit there anymore. I don't know how I need to tell her. I need to take my mind off of it for a night.' He grabbed one of the plans and looked at it, while the others returned to theirs.

Sam occasionally vanished to reappear with books from the library. He scribbled down references and notes. He wrote and read for hours on end before George and Marie went to their own cabins.

'You are not going to give this a rest, are you?' asked John. 'George mentioned that you were here.'

'She won't either,' replied the younger mage doodling a sigil.

'I understand that you want to go after her, but you need a plan. Reading books won't do you much good. You need to channel all of this anger, hate, and revenge into your magic, that's what creates great magic: emotion and imagination.'

'I know.'

'No, you don't,' said a female voice. She stepped out of the shadows. She was dressed in a white cloak with silver runes and had a golden pin holding her black hair up. Armoured sandals and leg protection poked from under the cloak.

'Circe,' said John. 'How are you?' They hugged.

'Could ask you the same thing, fisherman, but I'm not here for you. I am here for him.' She pointed at Sam.

'Me, why? And what don't I know?'

'Because my eldest siblings and mother are too shocked by the events to pick it up. You've been pumping magic into your sigil since it happened and you're radiating anger and hate which only strengthens you more. But you're not going after Nyx, you're going after the Olympians.'

Sam dropped the pencil. 'How'd you guess?'

'She's gotten in your head,' continued Circe as she approached him. 'It was never her ultimate plan to go after the lovebirds' parents. You are her pawn in this game. Nyx' is only using you for her own gain. Sarah will need you when she wakes up.'

'Don't,' said Sam. 'The legion will take care of her until I am eighteen, then I will become her legal guardian. I have it all here. At eighteen I could transfer to school and college in New Rome while she becomes a legionnaire.'

'You can't do that if you're dead!' yelled Circe. 'Nyx will finish you once she is done with you. Just sit back and let the grownups handle this.'

'Relax, Circe,' said Sam with a grin. 'I'm not going after the Olympians for revenge, but for a favour.'

The minor goddess looked at her elder brother and back to the younger one. 'Still don't see why you need the magic.'

'That's for this thing.' Sam pointed at the mecha. 'I wanted to enchant it.'

'Oh.'

'Jeez C, you'd think I'd go and offend the gods? I've escaped them before, but I don't think they'd let me live again. Especially Ares.'

Circe grinned. 'What did you actually do?'

Sam laughed before telling the story.

* * *

Before dawn some people and gods had gathered to the funeral site. Two coffins laid on funeral pyres covered by shrouds. One was white with a golden sun on it and an eagle with a lyre beneath it. The other one was dark blue with a silver caduceus on it. Beneath it stood the eagle of Rome and Roman coins.

As the sun appeared on the horizon, the Apollo cabin started playing the morning tune. Sam lit the pyres with magical fire. He placed his scutum shield in front of him and stood there as the other walked away. It wasn't until both pyres has disappeared that Sam cried.

Later that day he and Hecate had brought another visit to the house. The story in the news talked about a burglary gone wrong. Luckily the children were at summer camp at the time, where they had been informed of their deaths. A mixture of Mist and divine intervention had cleaned up the house as they stepped into the living room.

Sam made his way upstairs where he walked into Sarah's room packing a bag while Hecate searched the office space for the necessary documents. After finding their birth certificates and other medical and familial documents, Hecate had discovered the lacquered box that contained several letters, some old, with two recent ones. The box also contained a bank book to Sarah's name for the bank in New Rome.

'Mom, you ready?' said Sam as he entered carrying a duffel bag with a bunny sticking out of it.

'Yes,' replied the goddess as she closed the box.

* * *

That night, just before the hours of dawn, Sam sat by Sarah's bed. He had placed the box and a family picture on the table next to her bed, while putting the bunny next to her under the sheets.

'I am sorry for what happened. I hope that you can forgive me.' He kissed her forehead before walking out of the room.

Sam made his way to Bunker 9 where he boarded the mecha. Not bothering to strap in, he closed his eyes and focused on his heartbeat. He thought about the images of his father and foster parents. The blood dripping from their bodies, them not responding to his cries. He pictured Nyx smiling at him. The magic in his sigil reacted. Magic flowed from his sigil and heart to the symbols on the mecha. The lines glowed as magic seeped into the iron of the mecha, effectively fuelling it with raw magic. Sam sweated and started panting as he continued this method until the power slipped through his fingers.

The magic escaped the bounds and shattered the windows of the bunker, escaping into the night. Sam cut off the magic and stepped out of the mecha. His leg hurt. He took a bite of ambrosia and drank some nectar before making the mecha disappear in his pouch. Quickly, he walked to the door and vanished.

Elsewhere, mages and gods of magic reacted to the spike.

Clutching the key card in his hand, he made his way to the very top. Muzak played for a minute or so, before the doors opened up. Sam was greeted by a yawning nymph.

'This is a highly uncommon visit,' said the nymph.

'No problem, they know I'm coming.'

Sam took the lanyard with the visitors badge and started climbing the path up the hill with the sun rising on the horizon.

* * *

'Where is he?' asked George the following morning at breakfast. 'The mecha is gone from the bunker.'

'We don't know. He's vanished from camp,' replied Suzan. 'We've tried searching for him with magic, but nothing. Circe and Hecate might know, but they have been summoned to Olympus.'

George groaned as he left, leaving the mages among themselves.

'Where is he?' asked John.

'Somewhere in New York,' replied Suzan. 'And yes, we've checked the house, but nothing.'

'Di immortals,' cursed Ronan.

'He's on path we cannot follow,' said Lou grimly.

* * *

The golden doors opened the moment he arrived at the throne room. A rumbling voice called him inside. Sam found himself standing in the large marble room once again. Thirteen major thrones in a semicircle , with several smaller thrones and benches for minor gods. The last Olympian sat on a bench next to the hearth, tending to the large fire.

The twelve Olympians had fallen silent when he had walked inside. They all watched him. Sam felt the magic radiating from the pouch.

'We welcome you to Olympus once again,' said Hera calmly before Zeus could yell at him.

'Thank you, lady Hera,' replied Sam as he bowed.

'I would like to offer you my condolences,' said Hera. 'I know you are plagued by your family's death.'

'Then you know why I am here.'

'Of course,' interjected Aphrodite nervously. 'I can feel the love for your sister. You wish for her safety.'

'Why should we offer her our protection?' barked Ares which got him a look from Aphrodite and Hera.

'You do not, but I would like to ask for the blessing of her grandfathers.' Sam gave Apollo and Hermes a look.

'You insult us,' boomed Zeus. 'Who are you to come and command us?'

'Who are you to remain so passive when your children are in danger?' replied Sam defiantly. 'Nyx is out to get you, yet you remain in here, safely tucked away while we get the beatings.' Sam felt his anger rising.

'We all feel your pain,' said Aphrodite. 'But this is out of our hands, the Fates are the keepers of Fate.'

'I am going after them next, but first I need you to grant me my wish.'

'Sam,' said Hestia as she approached the scene. 'I understand how you feel, but this is not the place, not the time. Please calm down and return to camp. Let us forget that this ever happened.' The maiden goddess grabbed his hands and looked him in the eye.

'Nyx said that you'd try to shrug it off. No more.'

Sam quickly drew a protective barrier on the ground around Hestia and activated it. In the same movement, he exposed his forearms that bore his Roman tattoo and a sequence of sigils. He crossed his arms and spoke the incantation: "In lucem ut tu." before uncrossing his arms.

The shockwave changed the gods into their Roman forms. Twelve had been rendered more militaristic with Roman armours adorning their bodies. Minerva wore her hiking boots, flannel shirt and walking stick as she stared at Sam. He seemed vaguely familiar.

'Apollo, Mercury,' announced Sam. 'I have come before you to ask you for your blessing.'

'What have you done?' asked Hecate as she stared at the Roman gods before her.

'You granddaughter needs your guidance, she needs your blessing,' continued Sam. 'I cannot provide her with it, so I am begging you to save her.'

'What did you do?' asked Hestia as she walked outside of the barrier.

'He made them shift to Roman,' stammered Hecate. 'Impossible.'

'We are aware of our granddaughter's demise,' replied Mercury. 'The legion takes care of its own.'

'I know, yet she'll need your guidance.'

'We do not accept these actions,' replied Apollo. 'But we will grant your request, for once.' He finished raising a single finger.

'Thank you.' Sam crossed his arms and ended the spell reverting all Romans back to Greek.

'You foolish mortal,' yelled Ares unsheathing his blade and standing up. Athena and Hephaestus held him back.

Hecate stood before her son and stared at him. 'Go, before they agree to kill you, or worse.'

Sam nodded and turned around.

'You are not going anywhere,' boomed Zeus. He clapped his hand and the doors closed.

Sam turned back and watched the gods. He put his hand in his pocket and gripped the miniature of the mecha.

'You are a danger to Olympus and we need to take care of you,' said the lord of the sky as he reached to his quiver of bolts.

'Zeus,' said Aphrodite. 'He's grieving, his thoughts have been clouded, so has his judgement. Do not harm him.'

'Listen to her, father,' said Athena. 'He did this for his sister.'

'Enough,' said Zeus. 'I've made my judgement. For crimes against, Olympus, I sentence you to death.'

In an instant, the king of the gods, threw a bolt of lightning at the demigod before him. The bolt hit him and threw him backwards. Smoke flowed in the air. Screams reverberated against the marble. Hestia held Hecate as both goddesses slumped to the ground, while Circe ran to Sam. Twelve Olympians held their breaths as Zeus sat himself down. Suddenly a coughing noise filled the air.

Sam pushed Circe off of him and stood shakily on his legs. A grin stood on his face. From his pouch he took the mecha. While the machine started growing, Sam grabbed it and entered the cockpit. Once seated he let the magic flow freely. In an matter of moments there stood a twelve foot tall mecha in the throne room of Olympus. On its arm stood a name: Iron Titan

The gods were nailed to the ground as Sam charged the mecha and magic. In a flash, the mecha hurled lightning at the lord of the sky. Zeus was thrown from his throne. The other gods stood there for a moment, before Poseidon and Hades advanced weapons drawn.

'Stand down, Sam,' said Poseidon aiming the trident at him.

'Not anymore, I am done obeying gods for their games.'

'So be it,' said Hades as he used his sword to break the floor of the throne room and pushing the mecha through the hole.

If you ask either god of what happened next, they will swear that they heard laughter coming from the giant machine as Sam Parker plummeted from Olympus.


	11. Chapter 11

**AN Have fun :) Almost at the end of the second act and things are getting tense.**

* * *

 **Chapter 11 Verdict**

 _Annabeth POV_

He sat on the chair next to her bed, holding her hand. His cloak was worn out and scorch marks dotted the dark fabric. Sam's arms were covered in sigils and runes that looked like faded tattoos. He turned to me. His buzz cut had started to grow and his eyes were hollow and tired.

'Do they have their verdict?'

'They haven't started yet, but you need to be present for this, ancient laws decree it,' I said clutching my dagger in one hand, magical restraints in the other.

'Why send you and not, say, Frank or John?'

'I volunteered,' I replied. 'Now, stand up and let me get the restraints on you.'

'Alright.' He stood and gave Sarah a brotherly kiss on the head.

Sam held out his hands and I slipped on the reinforced gloves that held his fingers, hand and wrists in a rigid position. Next I attached them to each other, while threading a silver rope through the openings to hold his hands in front of him as we walked. I tugged at the rope as we exited the room.

In the hallway stood the others. Percy, Frank, Nico, Thalia, Reyna and Piper had weapons drawn and formed a perimeter around us. Reyna advanced and stood before Sam. She held out a crutch.

'Take it off,' ordered the armoured praetor.

'I could use a hand,' he muttered raising his bound hands.

Frank lifted him up, while Sam gave Reyna instructions on how to safely remove it. After a tense couple of minutes the celestial bronze leg popped off and Hylla handed Sam the crutch to walk. We slowly made our way out of the hospital and walked towards the hearth of Camp Half-Blood.

* * *

 _Harley POV_

'We have gathered here today to discuss the matter of Sam Parker,' announced Chiron slamming a hoof against a piece of marble. 'My lords, my ladies, the floor is yours.'

We sat on chairs provided by the gods. I found myself sitting next to Annabeth, cabin 20 and several of Sam's friends at camp. News had travelled fast and now we found ourselves divided between those who stood with Sam and those who agreed with punishment, which included most of the Hunters, Romans and Ares campers. The Seven had chosen to remain rather impartial to the feud.

The hearth was bright thanks to Hestia's excellent care. Next to it sat Sam who was flanked by Circe and his mother. The other Olympians sat on improvised thrones in an inversed U-shape, dressed in regal looking toga's and all holding a symbol of power. Several minor gods sat in the audience.

'Has the accused anything to say before we begin?' asked Chiron.

'I do,' said Sam turning towards us. 'Joanne Harley and Reyna Ramirez?'

I turned to Reyna who stood in the back. She shrugged with a puzzled look. 'Yes?' I asked.

'Will she be safe after this?'

'She will be safe as she recovers,' I answered. 'You know my creed.'

He nodded as Reyna advanced. She spoke. 'The legion takes care of their own.' He nodded.

'Is that all?' asked Chiron.

Sam did not answer but stood there head held high on one leg.

'Then we shall proceed.'

The gods all stared at Sam before Hestia was the first to speak.

The young girl with the brown dress and red eyes turned to the audience. 'Sam came to us just before dawn. He arrived at the throne room in an agitated state, which is understandable considering what he had just been through.' Hestia paused, probably to think about the wording. 'He asked us to safeguard his sister, he wanted to ask Sarah Parker's grandfathers to be sure that his request came through.'

'He used some foul magic to transform us into our Roman forms,' argued Ares.

Lou and John exchanged nervous glances with Circe who nodded slightly.

'I agree that his methods could use some refinement,' continued Hestia. 'But he did it for his sister, who just lost her parents in a brutal attack, ordered by Nyx.'

'He had his wish granted,' continued Aphrodite. 'Transformed us back and then Zeus attacked him first.'

'I did not, he transformed us by force,' screamed Zeus as thunder roared through the sky.

'You threw a bolt of lightning at a grieving mortal who was obviously out of his mind, father,' said Athena pointedly. 'He was already on his way out.'

'And yet he still stands before us here now,' said Ares smugly. 'No mere mortal could survive a bolt thrown by father.'

'Of course not, but then again, I am not a mere mortal,' said Sam.

'The defendant will be silent,' said Chiron.

'Sam used the mecha to throw a bolt of lightning back at my brother,' said Poseidon gripping his trident. 'Hades and I then proceeded to advance on him. Hades then broke the floor of the throne room and had Parker plummeting to the earth. Thanks to some bursts of wind, Sam fell into the surf at the beach. The mecha is still there.'

'From what we have heard, Sam then walked towards this very hearth to rest, while campers and Chiron advanced on his position, correct?' asked Hestia.

'That is correct, lady Hestia,' said Percy from the audience.

'Step forward, son of Podeidon,' said Zeus.

Percy made his way towards the hearth and bowed to the gods. 'Let me recount the events.'

* * *

 _Percy POV_

People came running from all directions to check out the source of the noise that had come from the beach. I had uncapped Riptide to anticipate a monster attack by Nyx, but had to stop when someone came stumbling from the beach pathway and fell down next to the hearth.

'Who is it?' asked Annabeth as she caught up with me. Thalia trailed after her, spear and Aegis drawn.

A shout from John McMiller answered the question as he shouted Sam's name. We saw the elder mage skidding to a halt and turning his brother on his back as the aura dissapeared. Piper joined him and held a flask to Sam's lips. As we arrived we heard Sam coughing and slowly regaining his senses. They took a seat next to the hearth. Sam panted as he looked at me, anger still filling his eyes.

'Guess I owe you father some tribute,' he spoke.

'What happened?' asked Annabeth as the Hunters and Amazons joined the party.

'Nothing much. Had my wish, Hades threw me out. Guess Poseidon had a helping hand in my landing.'

'You assaulted Zeus,' said Thalia stepping forward.

'What?' we chorused. I clutched Riptide even tighter.

'Lady Artemis told us through IM.'

'What did you do?' asked Chiron nervously.

'I asked them for a favour, they didn't listen to me,' he replied with a growl. 'I finally got Zeus down a peg.' His magical aura started showing again.

We, the Seven and Reyna and leaders of cabin 20, exchanged nervous glances. 'Sam, we all realize that you are grieving,' started Piper. 'But you can't go on like this. You need to calm down.' She had laced it with Charmspeak.

'And you need to learn to shut up, McLean. Your little mind control won't work on me.' He took off his cloak and exposed his bare chest and arms, covered in sigils and runes. I wasn't an expert on Charmspeak, but you need to be quite powerful to resist Piper's. And those symbols weren't looking good either.

'Sam,' said John. 'You're radiating quite some magic, anything I can do to help?' John stared at me and Jason and nodded. 'Those runes are quite dangerous if not properly contained.'

'No. I've done everything that needed to be done. For now.'

'Attacked Zeus?' said Suzan incredulously. 'Lady Artemis must becoming insane, there is no way Sam could've done that.'

'It was self-defence,' said Sam as he poked at several sigils. 'I threw a bolt back at his smug face, much like the one Thalia and you always have when you think you can win the fight. Guess it's Big Three material.' He grinned at that.

'There is no way,' said Suzan with a stammer. 'Impossible.'

'Enough talking, get him contained,' hissed Thalia as she advanced with her spear aimed at his chest, but Sam didn't move nor raise a barrier. He simply sat there as we all stepped back from his increasing aura.

Thalia collapsed the blade and poked Sam in the chest, yet he did not respond.

'He's using magic,' said Lou as she approached us. 'And not so much of it as you'd think. He's on to something. Better get him restrained fast.'

'You're not going to defend him?' I asked as Annabeth slipped on her Yankee cap.

'That is not my brother, but Nyx. She got into his head. John, ready every ounce you've got, we're going to need it.'

'You're not fighting him,' John said. 'You need to keep the baby safe.'

'I know, but he's got the edge here. You're not seeing are you?'

'Seeing what?'

Sam grabbed the blunt end of the spear and jerked it back at Thalia, hitting her in the chest. She stumbled backwards as Sam grabbed hold of the spear. His hand glowed brightly for a second and then he held a can of mace in his hand, which he casually threw aside. Thalia released a scream as she charged at him with a raised Aegis, but he simply threw a sigil at it and suddenly it was a watch again. Sam threw a spell at her, which made her fly back against Jason. He started walking towards Cabin 20, but got surrounded by us. Everyone had a drawn weapon.

'It's as if he can see the magic,' said Lou with a sad smile.

'The gods have finally met their match,' said Sam with a grin as his eyes seemed to glow brightly. He squeezed sigils between his hands and in a flash, I was holding Riptide in pen form. There was a moment where everybody was now carrying everyday items instead of weapons and shields. Annabeth turned visible while wearing the Yankee cap.

Thunder filled the air and in an instant lightning rained down upon him. Jason and Thalia held hands as a storm swept at dirt and the hearth, but nothing. Sam emerged from it unscathed holding a ball of sparking energy in his hands.

'That was not nice,' said Sam with double voice.

He released the energy, but it bounced back again the barriers the mages had conjured. It threw us back a couple of feet.

I felt Lou pushing past me and Jason. John yelled at her to step back, but she had reached her younger brother. They stood there as the storm died down. Hunters approached with drawn bows and arrows.

'So the big sister comes to rescue,' said Sam. 'You won't be able to save me.'

'Of course I will, that's my job as a big sister.'

'Lou, get back here,' yelled Suzan.

'Listen to her and let me do my thing, the gods need to know what it feels like.' Sam readied some magic as his sigils glowed. He aimed his hands at Lou. Lou reacted by grabbing the mage in a hug. The Hunters stepped forward. Sam screamed and tried to get free from her grasp but to no avail. The magical aura even seemed to decrease. Tears streaked his dirty face.

'Sam would never willingly hurt me or his niece, now get out of his head or by the gods I will have your head on a stake.' From Sam's nostrils and ears flowed dark smoke. The smoke solidified into a figure. Her skin was ashen but the dress was black as the night with a galaxy floating near her waist. Wings appeared from her back. The last thing to manifest were her glowing eyes. In rising sun stood the first of the gods, Nyx.

'You are quite the demigod, Sam Parker. It was a pleasure to reside in your twisted mind. See you again soon.' Sam fell to the ground sobbing. Lou shook his cloak to rid it from dirt and draped it around his shoulders.

'Restrain him,' demanded Thalia.

'Wait up, Thalia,' Annabeth replied stepping forward. 'We need to be sure about this. You realize Nyx was controlling him, right?'

'Maybe she didn't,' said Thalia as she nodded at a Hunter.

The Hunter approached and bound Sam by the wrists with some silver rope before lifting him up and dragging him from the circle back towards the hearth of camp.

* * *

 _Annabeth POV_

'Thank you, Percy,' said Hestia.

'Where do we begin?' asked Zeus. 'This mortal has assaulted me in my own throne room, whilst also endangering the life of several demigods in the process. He may or may not have been under the influence of an external force, but the question remains as to whether Sam Parker is a danger to the demigod community. I hereby open the debate on the gravity of the charges,' finished Zeus.

'I say we motion to disintegrate him,' said Ares. 'This mortal defied us, defiled us even. I say we have him thrown into Tartarus.'

'I vote for his release,' said Aphrodite. 'The emotions he felt during the attack are all stemming from the love to protect his sister. He only wanted to make sure she was protected at camp Jupiter.'

'This demigod had insulted us on more than one occasion,' said Hades twirling the blade. 'Yet, I think sending him to Tartarus is a bad idea. He might start another rebellion down there.' Nervous chuckles arose from the audience and the gods. 'I say we let him live, but punish him nonetheless.'

'I concur,' mumbled Sam.

'Shush,' said Hecate.

'Although I can understand all sides in this,' said Athena gesturing at Ares and Aphrodite. _Of course you do mother, you're the wise one._ 'I do agree that Sam poses a certain risk to the demigod community, therefor I suggest we have him exiled.'

People gasped and murmur arose from the audience. Sam stared at Hecate. They exchanged pained looks.

'Are you all nuts?' yelled a voice from the back. I turned around and saw Cali standing up wearing full armour. Gina tried pulling her back down. 'This is Sam we're talking about. He defeated Pandora and kept us all safe when nobody else could. He sacrificed his life for you.'

'Who dares interrupt the gods,' boomed Zeus.

'Cali Mayweather, daughter of Kymopoleia, granddaughter of Poseidon.' Cali stared at Zeus without backing down.

'Former lover of the defendant,' commented Aphrodite with a smile.

'Of course we know that,' said Athena. 'But that is in the past and does not concern the present.'

'It doesn't concern you,' replied Cali. 'This is between Zeus and Sam.'

'Sit back down, Caliope,' said Poseidon. 'I vote for his release, Nyx is forging plans for war and we need him. Anybody who can deflect a bolt can fight at my side.'

'Exile would eliminate him from our current problem,' said Artemis.

'You cannot!' argued Hecate. 'He had clouded judgement, he wasn't himself.' She positioned herself in front of her son.

'He wants revenge for his loved ones, I say we let him have it,' argued Nemesis from the audience. 'It would please me to see him crack Nyx' skull.' This got some cheers from people. 'Let him fight.'

'So you'd like to see me dead?' asked a familiar voice from the shadows. Nyx smiled as she stepped into the light from the hearth.

Sam released a guttural scream as he made a magic prosthetic leg appear and was armed with two of his axes. He moved towards Nyx, but she simply sidestepped and dodged his attacks. Even when he threw fire at her, the goddess was unfazed.

'Do you see it now,' said Nyx as she grabbed hold of Sam's neck. He growled at her. 'He's a rabid dog that needs to be put down. 'I showed you his true nature.'

Two arrows flew right past her and landed in a tree. Eve and Lianne stood back with drawn bows and notched arrows. 'Unhand him you witch,' spoke Eve.

'Praetor, did it not say that a child of magic and doors would break Olympus?'

Reyna lowered her sword and shield. 'Yes, the lines dictate it.'

'And did he not break Olympus? As far as I can see, the Olympians are divided and Olympus has been torn apart when he plummeted from the sky.'

Reyna nodded.

'And Zeus, has this demigod not promised you to keep the young demigods safe after his defeat of Pandora?'

'He has,' said Zeus.

'Would you consider this safe? Olympus in shambles, a demigod who can't control his temper or powers roams this camp freely. What if you had perished in his attack? He cannot even distinguish reality from a Mist illusion. I say you exile him and make him forget about us. If not, I will be forced to take action.'

'You will not touch my brother,' said Suzan arming herself.

'Yeah, harm him and you die,' said Cali as she unsheathed Sternbane.

More people arrived weapons and stood waiting for someone to do something. I spotted George brandishing a warhammer.

'Do you all not see that he is causing another war among demigods,' said Nyx gesturing at the scene before them. Sam was clawing at her arm. 'Take your responsibility and exile him. If not I will have to do it myself and it won't be pretty.'

The Olympians all stared at one another. 'All in favour of exiling the demigod, Sam Parker, and distorting his memory, raise your hand,' said Zeus meekly. _Damned coward._

Zeus, Hera and Ares immediately voted for. Moments later Demeter and Hades joined them. Slowly Artemis and Dionysius raised their hands.

'That is a tie,' I said. 'We…'

Athena cleared her throat and raised her hand.

'Mother?' I asked. She avoided my gaze.

'The majority of Olympians is in favour of exile,' said Nyx happily. 'That solves our problem here.'

'Nyx,' said Zeus. 'We will keep our end of the agreement, you must as well. Have Typhon return to Tartarus and leave the demigod camps alone.'

'I will,' said Nyx a little too sweetly before casting Sam aside and vanishing.

Sam screamed and grabbed his forearm where the tattoo was glowing. Circe and Hestia approached him. I couldn't see it all, but the bars had vanished.

'Hecate, as the goddess of Mist and magic, I must demand you take care of your son's magic abilities and memory,' said Zeus.

'I will not,' declared the goddess glaringly. 'I had one son exiled because of your stubbornness, I will not have his powers bound and have him undergo a lobotomy.'

'Then Circe will have to do it,' declared Zeus.

'Mom, I can't. I haven't done a Mist manipulation of that scope in centuries. It'll turn him into a vegetable,' pleaded Circe. 'I am a minor goddess of magic for Hades' sake.'

'Can you bind his powers?' asked Hecate coldly.

'I will need help, five to form the coven to ensure the strongest bounds,' said Circe.

'Then I shall do my part as decreed by ancient law,' said Hecate. 'But understand this, Olympians,' she spat. 'After this is all over, I will leave and not return until you are all begging me to come back. If one of the voters approaches me, I will have your children clawing their own eyes out in fear. Is that clear?'

No one answered.

Hecate turned to Circe. 'Let him say goodbye and then bring him to the hospital. I will return shortly.' The goddess vanished.

And with that we found ourselves staring at a sobbing demigod, who was hugged by his pregnant sister while the other mages stood nailed to the ground.


	12. Chapter 12

**AN The end of act 2 is near. Please review :)**

* * *

 **Chapter 12 Rebellion**

 **Sam POV**

I stared at my forearm. The skin that had the tattoo on it was red and blank, except for the word Exile above the letters SPQR. Taking another swig from my canteen, I stared at Camp Half Blood from the hill. My soon to be ex-home. It was rather quiet.

'Too quiet if you ask me,' said a voice with an annoyed tone.

I turned my head and saw a bearded man sitting there. His blue eyes stood worried. The man wore a Hawaiian shirt. In his hand he clasped a can of Coke. A chill ran down my spine.

'Dionysius.' I raised my canteen in a toast.

The god took a seat next to me. 'This is the quiet before a storm,' he continued. 'A storm with consequences.'

'The storm is over,' I recanted. 'I'm going to be exiled first thing tomorrow, while you can all have happy lives. You can go back to grumbling about us demigods, maybe you can even convince your father to give you some wine.' I took another drink. The juice was warm and burned in my throat. 'He is prone to making stupid decisions lately.'

Dionysius stared at me as vines grew around us. 'My father isn't the only one making stupid decisions, Ben Porter.'

I glared at him. 'There's eight of you that made that decision. You better be prepared when Nyx renegades on her promise, because I won't be here to kill her.'

'Athena has explained the concept of fatal flaws to you, hasn't she?' I nodded. 'Then what is yours?'

'My desire to protect everyone on my own,' I admitted.

The god nodded. 'You got killed because you wanted to save every camper when Pandora came after you and now you have assaulted the king of the gods because you wanted to keep your sister safe. Even if Nyx may have influenced you, you were still the one throwing the bolt back at Zeus.'

'And I would do it again.'

'Of course you would,' replied Dionysius. We fell silent again. Torches approached us.

'Why didn't you vote for me to die?' I asked him as Circe and Suzan arrived.

'Because you, Sam Parker, aren't such a bad hero after all.'

I smiled as I threw my canteen at him. 'Have a drink when Nyx arrives.'

* * *

 _Before_

 **Suzan POV**

'I know it's Sam, we're talking about, Ronan,' I yelled. 'But we can't defy the gods.' I gestured at the ceiling.

'Then we argue insanity,' argued Ronan. 'Are we really going to let him be exiled just like that? He won't be able to save himself out there, not without his memories.'

'So you think mom is all happy about having to cripple her own child?' Lou stared at her mug as she rubbed her belly.

'No not that, but I thought we had each other's backs?' pleaded Ronan. 'We're family.'

'And we're keeping it safe by doing as told,' said Circe. 'Without his powers and memories, Sam will be safe.'

'How? How does a binding even work?' asked Jade.

'You need to place seals on the vessel and place the magical connection behind them,' said Lou. 'But because we mages are basically magic ourselves, you need to sever the connection and then keep the source locked away. Keeping magic away from him will camouflage his divine heritage.'

'How do you know?' asked Ronan.

'Because I thought about binding Sam's powers when he first arrived at camp,' said Lou. 'Don't you remember? He was radiating unfiltered unstable magic. Pouring all of that into his fire magic and the cards.' Lou picked up Sam's playing card deck. 'Kept it contained.'

'I won't do it,' said Ronan. 'I won't have a hand in this.' He leapt up, transformed into a black feathered bird and flew away through the window.

'He won't have to,' said Circe. 'I need you four to join me in the binding.' Circe looked at us girls. 'Each of you shall put a seal in place to keep his magic contained. Are you up for it?' That last question was directed at Lou.

'I am ready. We should prepare ourselves. No magical items, pure and strong magic. Cloaks are to be worn.'

'John, are you alright with this? Don't you want to join in?' I asked my oldest brother. He hadn't spoken or reacted all evening.

'I can't join you. Binding should always be done by magic users of the opposite sex. Male and female combined. Five of you for stronger bounds. And besides this isn't my forte, I will keep my magic for the battlefield.' He drank some of his tea. 'Lou is right, you should prepare yourselves. Now, if you will excuse me, I need some fresh air,' he said while his voice croaked.

John walked towards the door when someone knocked. He opened it.

I held my breath as Reyna and Annabeth entered. Reyna was looking slightly distressed. Her hair was messy and her eyes weary. She clasped her helmet under her arm as she stared at John. Around her waist hung her sword.

Annabeth looked as if she had been crying, her grey eyes being puffy. Her curls were messy as well. She held a folder in her hands. It was labelled with Sam's name.

'We need your help,' spoke Reyna. 'There is something going on at the hospital.'

'I am not helping you,' said John. 'Figure it out.' He wanted to walk past her, but Reyna grabbed his shoulder. John reacted by grabbing her wrist and throwing her against the wall. Annabeth yelped as she back off towards us. Reyna regained her senses.

'John,' said Reyna. 'You can yell at me all you want after this, but I need your help.' As if the gods wanted to concur, lightning and thunder filled the air.

'Piss off,' growled John as he walked out.

'Why are you here, Annabeth?' I asked worried.

The daughter of Athena turned to us and placed the folder on the table. 'I wanted you to have this. It's the file I created when Sam and I resolved our deal.'

'You as the Sphinx for some research on him,' said Lou with a grin.

Annabeth nodded. 'I felt that it wasn't mine to keep anymore after what happened. And I told my mother that too.' She sniffed.

'What happened?' asked Mia as she poured Annabeth a mug which floated towards her.

She took a sip as Reyna joined us. 'I went to the Parthenos temple and called her out. I asked why she voted for his exile. She said that it was the Fates way, she mentioned Artemis, but I barely listened. I was so angry and yelled at her. I lost it and she vanished leaving the folder on the floor of the temple. I didn't want it anymore, so I wanted you to have it.'

'Okay,' I said. 'Reyna, what is going on at the hospital?'

'Some of Sam's friends have gathered to persuade Hecate from leaving him alone and defy the gods. Problem is that they have armed themselves. I think Sam could talk them down.'

'We'll go get him,' said Circe staring at me. 'Try and calm them down before Hecate arrives. Zeus has placed her in a highly stressful position, she will not go over this lightly.'

With a nod from Reyna, Circe teleported us away.

* * *

The other mages arrived at the hospital and found Reyna's words not to be exaggerated. Armed demigods stood in front of the building. Swords, spears and shields were wielded by the campers from across the cabins. In the front stood Cali Mayweather in her armour wielding Sternbane and a knife. Behind her stood a row of campers also in armour. The flanks were made up of archers from the Hunters and Apollo cabin alike.

'What is the meaning of this?' asked Chiron.

'We will not stand idle as Sam is brought in here like a goat to the slaughter. We demand the gods overturn their decision,' yelled Cate from the window of her room as she aimed an arrow at the crowd. Damien also stood on the third floor with a bow pulled taut.

'He is the greatest hero of us all,' said Cali. 'If he is subjected to the binding, we have no choice but to take action.' As if practiced the demigods raised their shield and blocked the path to the doors with crossed blades.

'Romans, stand down,' yelled Reyna to the Romans who had joined the group.

'He is a legionnaire,' one of them yelled back. 'The Legion takes care of its own.'

'I will have you all striped of you rank and privileges,' said Reyna fiercely.

Before someone could respond, the sound of clapping hooves came closer. From behind the hospital, two horses and riders appeared. One was a girl who wore a full Greek armour. Her legs were strapped into leather and fiberglass braces, yet she sat on the horse like a real Amazon. The copper coloured horse neighed as the girl drew her sword. Sparks flew from it. Rain held her sword in one hand, whilst leading her horse with the other. She looked at the crowd of people and smiled, her beauty mesmerizing the closest male demigods.

The other rider was John McMiller, the eldest male mage. The tall and broad demigod stepped down and helped Cali on it. John waved his hand and in it appeared Two-Hander. His personal blade was a seven feet long, three inch broad claymore with a blackened hilt and leather grip. Despite its name, John wielded it singlehandedly. He stepped in line with the others.

Suddenly the sky was lit with columns of fire and suddenly gods stood with the demigods who wanted to protect Sam. Aphrodite stood by her daughter, whilst Hermes and Nemesis had joined the crowd.

'My lord, my ladies,' said Chiron in centaur form with a bow. So did the others.

'Stand, protector of heroes,' said Aphrodite. 'We are here as we have been called by our children in their hour of need. The others will not join us out of fear for Zeus or because they wanted Sam exiled or dead.'

'Why is Sam Parker so special?' asked Reyna incredulously. 'This rebellion is happening in his name!'

'Because he is our friend,' replied George. 'He has lost almost everything he has and now you want to take whatever he has left.'

'He is the walking bane of Olym…' Reyna never finished her sentence as John had punched her square in the jaw.

'You will shut up, Reyna Ramirez-Arellano, or by the gods I will put you in the ground.' John swung his blade around to clear some space. 'You will not speak of my baby brother until we have had our duel. He is a boy, confused and hurt and you want him to venture out on his own.'

Reyna drew her own blade and shield, and charged at John bellowing furiously. They clashed repeatedly. Sparks flew from their blades. John swung Two-Hander at Reyna, who had swung her shield up just in time. The impact dented the shield, keeping the blade from her maiming face.

Suddenly a third blade entered the fight. Riptide glowed in the lowering sunlight. Percy used Riptide to dislodge Two-Hander from the shield.

'You are blinded by you ties to him,' hissed Reyna. 'Can't you see? Olympus stands divided and a rebellion in happening right now.' She gestured at the hospital with her blade. 'You're so mad, because deep down, you know I'm right.'

'Of course you are,' said John. 'But that doesn't mean that I am going to let you or anyone else take him away. I will not lose another sibling to the Fates.' He used his free hand to disarm Reyna and Percy with a spell and raised his blade.

'Stop!'

Circe and Suzan pushed through the crowd and Sam popped out. He walked over to the fight and placed himself between the three.

'John,' faltered Sam. 'It's alright. I'll be okay. Just keep Lou from doing something stupid.'

'No, it isn't,' said the eldest mage as he lowered his weapon, dropping on his knees after a moment. 'It should be Nyx that is banished, not you.'

'She will be. Don't worry, I'll be back. You know me, always have an ace up my sleeve.' Sam showed his trademark grin.

'John, just back away and let things be done,' said Percy picking up Riptide.

'Piss off, Jackson,' said Sam. 'We're having a moment here.' Sam knelt beside his brother. 'I need you here to protect the campers when Nyx attacks. You got to keep Lou and the kid safe for me.'

'Cabin 20 has each other's back,' said John.

'Yeah, just not for me right now. And tell Ronan to relax.'

'Get it going,' said Percy nervously.

'Will you please shut up,' hissed Sam. 'You are not the one being exiled here.'

Percy laid a hand on Sam shoulder, but the mage reacted by turning around and lifting the demigod in the air with magic.

'You seem eager to have me dead, Perseus,' remarked Sam. 'Maybe because you fear for your own safety. I'm pretty unstable aren't I? The death of my mother and father have sent me over the edge,' Sam said directing that last remark to Reyna. 'It is taking me every ounce of will power I have to not explode. But you don't know what I'm talking about, isn't it Perseus? Maybe I ought to solve that for you? Have Paul raise Estelle on his own.'

Percy roared and water from his flask and pushed Sam back. Reyna grabbed Percy by the shoulder and everyone relaxed.

'She showed me the life I never had,' started Sam as he crawled back up. 'A caring father who did his best to help out until I got to Camp Half-Blood, but I never had that. I had a dead father and loneliness. You're lucky to have Sally, never forget that.'

Sam walked away with Circe and his sisters in tow.

The group at the hospital relaxed for a second as Sam appeared in front of them.

'Stand down,' he ordered. 'Cali, Jesse, Rain. Let them do their thing.'

'We can't,' said Cali as tears appeared in her eyes.

'You have to.' Sam snapped his fingers and in an instant everybody had been moved away from the hospital except the gods who stood there silently as the mages walked in.

* * *

Sam was lying on the bed in the middle of the trauma room. Leather restraints held his wrists and ankle pinned down. He had been able to give Sarah his final goodbye as well as removing Damien and Cate from the building in the process. Harley had joined the mages remarking that she wanted to be sure that he would be monitored during the binding to ensure his survival. The machines beeped as they registered his heartbeat and other vitals.

He was covered in painted symbols and wore nothing more than his shorts. His prosthetic leg had been removed for magic reasons and now Harley injected a muscle relaxant in his veins.

'Sam, I'm here until the end,' replied the doctor from behind her protective barrier.

'Thanks,' replied the mage as he felt his body starting to relax.

The doors opened and five cloaked mages appeared in the room. Four of them wore dark coloured robes with silver runes, while Circe wore a white one with gold runes.

'Is he ready?' asked Circe.

Harley nodded.

Circe nodded and grabbed the hands of Lou and Suzan. They all held hands and formed a circle around the bed. They began chanting as the symbols lit up in a pale green colour. Sam grunted and fought against the restraints. The process had started.

Exactly three hours later, it had been done. Sam laid on the bed unconsciously but safe, while his sisters sat down exhausted and panting. Harley checked on Lou. Circe handed out some nectar and ambrosia.

The doors opened and Hecate came walking in, followed by Hestia. The last Olympian guided the mages out and left Hecate with Harley.

'Harley, may I ask you to…'

'Leave, of course. I will let you say goodbye. He has been a trooper. I'm just going to give him a dose of anaesthetic to make sure he stays unconscious. Circe mentioned that it will be easier that way.'

'Thank you, Joanne.'

Harley did her thing and walked towards the door. 'Lady Hecate, may I ask you for a favour?'

'Yes?'

'Come see me when it's done.'

Hecate nodded and the daughter of Asclepius left the room.

The goddess of Mist and magic took a seat at the side of the bed where his head laid.

'Mom?' croaked Sam. 'I'm sorry for what I did.'

'I am sorry for what I will do. Now, close your eyes and relax, my son.'

Sam did as told and moments later Hecate saw his heartrate drop back down and stay steady.

The goddess placed her hands on the temples of Sam's head and closed her eyes. Mist filled the room and steady crept up on Sam's chest and eventually filled his nose and ears, as well as covering his eyes. Hecate mumbled as she continued to pour Mist down his mind and body.


	13. Chapter 13

**AN: Final chapter of act 2. Act 3 will deal with Sam's journey.**

* * *

 **Chapter 13 Plan B**

 _Before the verdict_

'You must have him contained,' hissed the goddess. 'He's attacked father, successfully.' She breathed in and tensed up. This was bad. A demigod with this power was dangerous in the wrong hands. And Nyx's were the most dangerous of all.

'What,' exclaimed Thalia Grace surprised. Her image shimmered in the artificial mist.

'He's not an ordinary demigod anymore,' said Artemis. 'If he can do this, we might be on the losing side.'

'I'll mobilise the troops,' decided the lieutenant of the Hunters. Artemis waved and the mist vanished.

'You've brought it well,' said the voice.

Artemis turned around and found Clotho and her sisters standing in the room on Olympus. The goddess of the Hunt sighed exasperatedly. She slumped into a chair.

'I will have made an enemy doing your bidding, you owe me an explanation,' demanded Artemis as she stared at Atropos.

'Sam has to be hidden from Nyx' influence, which is stronger when he's at camp,' said Lachesis. 'He needs to be free to leave and become stronger. Exile would be a good way to achieve it.'

'Hecate will not have it,' warned Artemis. 'You know how protective she is about her children.'

'So are you,' replied Clotho. 'Or do you not wish for your Hunters' safety?'

'Is that a threat?' Artemis unsheathed a silver hunting knife.

'If he isn't removed from camp they will perish under his anger. The Seven will be unable to contain him. His connection to the Romans in nearly non-existent, so they won't have him. He needs to learn to move on,' spoke Atropos.

'So the exile has to happen,' said Artemis with another sigh. 'It will be done. Let me speak to the other Olympians about it.' Artemis strode to the door.

'And tell your Hunter to be ready when it's time.'

Artemis turned around and nodded at the Fates with blazing eyes.

* * *

 _Post Verdict_

Night had fallen when she had finally finished. Pain welled up from her chest as she cried. The memories were filled with anger and sorrow. The death of her late partner still plagued him to this day.

Hecate stared at an unconscious Sam as the final strands of Mist vanished. Anger filled her head. The Olympians had pushed her to this. She had pleaded to let Alabastar be part of camp again, but he was hardened by the defeat. They had forced her to choose between him and the other mages. Three against one. The Olympians had pushed her and the other gods towards Kronos and they still hadn't learned.

The goddess of magic panicked slightly as Sam stirred in his sleep. Then she smiled. He wasn't done fighting. Hecate waved her hand and inspected the seals. Five of them. The head, heart, both wrists and gut. Each seal was encircled, yet personal to each weaver. Circe had drawn the Titan rune for fire on his chest, while Lou had drawn a Red King alchemy symbol on his heart. Suzan had marked his head with a black spiral. Jade and Mia had placed much weaker seals made of a moon and spirit symbol on his wrists. Hecate overlaid them with a stronger seal to ensure his bonds.

The door opened and Hecate turned around to see a young Hestia walking in.

'Hestia,' said Hecate with a nod.

As the goddess of the hearth approached she made herself into a young woman. 'Is it okay if I say goodbye?' asked Hestia catching her breath.

'Of course, Harley is waiting for me.'

Hecate hugged Hestia for a brief moment before walking away. Before the door closed, she heard a song being sung.

The goddess made her way to Harley's office on the ground floor. She knocked, but no one answered. She opened the door and walked in. There was nobody. Hecate closed the door and looked around.

The office was rather spacious and pleasant. A wooden desk stood centrally in the room, with comfortable chairs in front of it. Bookshelves were filled with mortal books on medicine, yet it also contained several texts on the myths. A black staff stood against one of the bookcases.

Suddenly the door opened and Harley walked in with Will in tow. Circe and Aphrodite followed soon after.

'I'm telling you, Rain is to be put back to bed with heavy-duty restraints and have one of the girls do it. She's lucky she didn't fall off and broke her neck,' said Harley.

'It was pretty badass,' said Circe.

'I don't care if it was badass or not, she is not supposed to be up and out until her legs are fully healed. Tell her it's that or risking pain for the rest of her life.'

Will nodded and waited as he stared at Harley and the three gods. 'I'll be going then.'

'I'll check up on Ward 2 later on. Damien was able to get himself wounded by an Ares camper in a fight.'

'I'll check it out.'

Will Solace left the room.

'Have a seat,' said Harley as she took a seat behind the desk and pulled out a file and bottle from a drawer. 'Are you comfortable sharing a bottle or do you need…'

Circe waved her hand and glasses and an extra chair appeared in the room.

The three goddesses sat down and Harley poured them a glass. Circe downed hers and grimaced for a second.

'It's been a while since I've had mortal alcohol. Tastes sharper then I remember.'

'It's a spirit, not Mediterranean wine, Circe,' grinned Harley.

'I see that Sam and his friends have rubbed off on you,' said Aphrodite. 'You speak too gods as if they were mere mortals.' The love goddess took a sip.

'But then again, I am friends with her sister and we are in my temple, so to attack me would be highly unwise. I am not a strong demigod, but sacrilege is kind of a big deal with you isn't it? And Lou would upset if I were to die.'

'Sam has definitely rubbed off on you,' said Circe with a grin before filling her glass again.

Hecate stared at the grey haired demigod and the glass of amber colour liquid for a second. 'Joanne, why are we here?'

'I have a plan to keep Sam safe until we need him again,' said Harley as she opened the folder. 'And I need your help to carry it out.' Harley laid out several pictures and lists of things.

'What do you have in mind?' asked Aphrodite taking another sip.

* * *

'I can't seem to move the mecha,' said Poseidon raising his trident. 'Nor is the sea really touching it. I can have seaweed grow over it, but that's about it.'

'He enchanted it,' said Percy. 'Dad, did we do the right thing? The mages are not speaking to us and I think we've made a terrible enemy out of John.'

The two sat at the beach under a starry sky. The waves rolled onto the shoreline. Poseidon was still dressed in his toga, yet sat in a fisherman's chair that held his trident like a fishing rod.

'As stubborn as the mages might be, they will have to fight in the upcoming war,' said the sea god.

'So it is true, Nyx' is coming after us?' asked Annabeth Chase as she approached the two, with Cali right behind her. The granddaughter of Poseidon glared at Percy.

'My brother is too busy licking his wounds to see that Nyx' is not going to call off Typhon and her goons.'

'What is going to happen?' asked Cali.

'Be prepared and keep the unity alive,' said Poseidon as he stared at the ocean. 'I must go, Zeus has called the Olympians for another meeting.' The god walked towards the sea.

'Grandfather,' called out Cali as she undid her sword belt. 'Take this with you.' She offered the god the sheathed blade. 'I offer it to you, to give Sam the strength to make his way back to me.'

He took the weapon reluctantly and disappeared in the waves.

Cali felt a hand on her shoulder and she was pulled in a hug by Annabeth.

'He'll be okay,' she murmured.

Cali let the tears fall. The waves started to swell and crash harder onto the shore.

* * *

She finished packing her bags by stuffing a couple of drachma's and dollars in a pouch attached to her belt. Next to it hung a silver and celestial bronze knife. With a flick of her wrist she transformed her bracelet into a bow and back.

'Check,' she muttered before leaving the tent.

The Hunters of Artemis had been called away from Camp Half Blood by their lady. They were staying in a national park in upstate New York as they often did when lady Artemis was called to Olympus, but the Hunters did not stay at camp.

'Are you ready?' asked Thalia, her lieutenant.

'As I'll ever be. It's been a while since I've been on my own.'

Thalia stared at the silver haired girl. She still looked fifteen, despite being sixteen in mortal years. Hunter Kowalski looked somewhat distressed.

'Lady Artemis doesn't hand people things that they can't handle,' said Thalia with a smile as she placed a hand of her shoulder. 'And you won't be alone for long.'

'But a boy?' whined Hunter.

'An important one,' said Artemis coming out of her tent wearing a silver hunters outfit. 'He'll need guidance, and who better than a Hunter to give it to him?' The goddess smiled a little.

'It's been years, that joke isn't funny anymore.'

'Yes it is, Kowalski,' said Artemis.

Hunter huffed as she hoisted the backpack on her back. 'So, I'll be trekking for three weeks until he's supposed to show up?'

'Could be longer,' shrugged Artemis.

'Great, just great.'

'Now, are you all packed?' asked Thalia.

Hunter nodded. 'Dried food, fresh water for a day, bow and full quiver and other essentials.'

'Good, then we are ready to move. Best of luck, Hunter,' said Artemis as she started to glow.

In a flash, the other Hunters were gone, leaving Hunter Kowalski alone in the middle of the forest clearing. She turned around and saw that a grey tent still stood in place, but no fire.

'Thank the gods.'

Hunter threw her bags in the tent and picked up the gear to make a fire.

* * *

The first thing he noticed was the splitting headache he had, as if someone had tried to crack his skull repeatedly. As he opened his eyes, he was staring at a greyish ceiling. Fighting against the nausea bubbling up, Sam turned his head.

He was lying in a hospital bed, that was good, means he hadn't been moved. Sam moved his fingers around, and found that he was restrained to the bed. So far so good, he thought as he had been the night before. But something was off.

The smell of disinfectant was different than last night's. And the restraints were padded more softly. Ignoring the searing pain behind his eyes, Sam looked around and tried moving his head. And then it hit him. He was no longer at camp. The summer camp.

'Help,' his voice croaked. 'Help,' he shouted causing him to cough.

The door flew open and a white clad woman in her mid-thirties appeared in his vision. She had icy blue eyes and black hair. On her vest stood a logo. A red staff coiled by a blue snake. Sam knew that that was a symbol of Asclepius, the ancient Greek god of medicine.

'How are you doing?' asked the woman as she slipped on a pair of gloves.

'My heads hurt like hell,' rasped Sam. 'And who are you?'

'Oh my,' she muttered as she filled up a glass of water from a sink. 'I am Phoebe, remember? We met a couple of months ago.'

'I can't say that I have, but you do remind me of someone.'

Phoebe walked back over and put the glass to Sam's lips and he drank, causing water to spill out onto his shirt.

'Phoebe,' stressed Sam, trying to imprint the name in his mind. 'Where are we?'

'I'll have to report this,' Phoebe sighed. 'Sam, you've been admitted to The Elysium Rehabilitation Centre for months. You're in a hospital.'

'A hospital?' Sam pushed against the restraints.

'Yes, a hospital,' said a new female voice. She stepped forward and stood before the bed. The woman was a dirty blond haired woman in the mid-twenties. She wore a scrub top with the same logo, but wore a simple legging underneath.

'Who are you?' asked Sam defiantly.

'My name is Violet Ocean, and I am your assigned psychiatrist,' replied Violet neutrally.

Sam only stared into her green eyes as the words etched themselves into his brain.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14 Rabbit Hole**

'Where is Sam?' She clutched the stuffed rabbit's neck in her left hand and stared at Annabeth with blazing eyes. 'Where is my brother?'

The Athena counsellor looked at the eleven year old legacy dressed in an orange camp shirt. They were sitting at the Big House. Chiron and Reyna were also present. Annabeth exchanged glances with both of them. Chiron nodded.

'He's gone,' replied Annabeth.

'I know that,' said Sarah. 'To where?'

'We don't know,' admitted Reyna. 'He vanished after Hecate did the job. This was three weeks ago.'

'And my parents?' She gripped the stuffed animal a little tighter.

Another couple of glances between them.

'They died, trying to protect you.'

Sarah rubbed her eyes. 'It wasn't a dream.' Tears slid across her cheeks. 'There were cyclops and a snake woman. Sam incinerated her. His eyes were scary.'

'We buried them according the Roman rituals,' said Reyna. 'And we have discussed it with your grandfathers. We think it is wise to get you to Camp Jupiter.'

'Not without my brother's approval.' She wiped her eyes with the bunny.

'Sarah,' started Chiron. 'Sam has done dire deeds to get their blessing, we cannot wait for his return to bring you before Lupa and start your training as a legionnaire.'

'What did he do?'

Suddenly a woman entered the big house. She wore a simple tunic and had chocolate red hair. Her eyes fixated on Sarah. Reyna immediately took to one knee before her. Chiron bowed slightly.

'Your brother,' spoke the woman. 'Attacked the lord of the sky while under the influence of Nyx, the First of the Protogenoi. He has been exiled by the Pantheon without any memories of his life as a demigod. His mother vanished from the face of the earth and took him with her. He endured it all to keep you safe.'

Sarah smiled. 'That sounds about right.'

'As foolish as that may have been, Apollo and Mercury have given him their blessing that you would be safe until you reached Camp Jupiter. I will be the one to train and judge you, to see if you are worthy of admission.'

'Lupa, mother of Rome,' said Sarah as she shifted slightly back into the couch. 'I am honoured.'

The woman showed her a big grin. 'You won't be after I am done with you.'

'Where are you taking her?' asked Annabeth.

'That, daughter of Wisdom, is not your concern,' spoke Lupa.

'As a member of the head council of Camp Half Blood, it is my duty to keep every camper under my command safe.' She drew a dagger. 'Where will she be going?'

'To the Wolf House,' said Lupa. 'Holy land for Romans. You have my word that she will arrive there safely.'

'Annabeth,' said Sarah. 'It's okay. I trust her.'

'He won't be pleased.'

'He isn't here. Can I at least say goodbye to Lou Ellen?'

Lupa nodded. 'You have two hours to get packed.'

* * *

He walked down the corridor with Phoebe two steps behind him. He felt her gaze on his back, as she told him when to turn left or right.

The hallways they walked in were covered in a pale green linoleum on the floor and a drab grey ceiling. The walls were painted in a purplish colour. Every couple of yards he spotted signs telling him where he was, but the names didn't ring a bell. However, the name of the hospital - The Elysium Rehabilitation Centre – did.

'Stop before the door on your left,' ordered Phoebe.

Sam did as told. Phoebe swiped a key card across a black box and the door buzzed open. She nudged him through.

The room was pretty big. There were several tables at which a couple of people sat next to the occasional white clad person. Some people waved at him, so Sam returned them as he walked to the breakfast buffet. They had plain cereal or bread with jelly, cheese or cold meats, or fruits. Sam opted for the cereal.

'Dinner is usually better,' said a woman to his left.

Sam looked at her. Bright copper red hair was tied in a ponytail, while big brown eyes stared at him. She too wore the grey leggings and shirt.

'I do hope so,' replied Sam as he walked towards an empty table. Phoebe joined him as she bit down into an apple.

'Mary is my name,' said the woman as her guide moved her to another table.

'Sam,' he retorted with a nod.

They took their seats and Sam dug into his cereal.

'So, a psychiatric hospital?' he asked eyeing the other patients who quietly ate their breakfast.

'Among others,' said Phoebe. 'We also have a physical rehabilitation department, you've been there before.' She glanced at his foot.

Sam dropped the spoon on the table. 'I knew I'd heard the name before. Christ, it's been years since I was here.' Sam touched the prosthetic leg.

'And we met back then too,' said Phoebe with a smile. 'I just an intern back then, but I took care of a scared little boy back then with your name, Sam.'

'Doesn't ring a bell,' said Sam with a mouthful of cereal.

Phoebe shot him a mock hurt look with a smile. 'You had other things to think about. Now, eat up, Violet wants to see you.'

* * *

They sat at the table in Bunker 9. George was storing away the plans of the mecha and other projects he had been working on. He looked at the others and noticed Jess was crying.

'You okay?' he asked her.

The daughter of Apollo looked up and shrugged wiping her eyes. 'I guess not, but I am worried, George. What if something happens out there? He has nothing on him. And the gods won't help him either. Even Hecate vanished.'

'She vanished with him,' retorted Cali. 'She wouldn't let him be dropped off somewhere. He had to leave both camps, it was never said that he had to be left on his own.' The granddaughter of Poseidon stared at the daughter of Apollo. 'Besides, not all gods wanted him to leave. Maybe we can ask the gods for help.'

'Hermes and Hecate are pretty friendly with each other, so he might help,' contributed Cate. 'Rain could ask Aphrodite.'

'We all heard my mother expressing her support,' said Damien with a grin. 'She could help if needed.'

George stared at his friends. They hadn't given up hope just yet. Jesse shot him a small smile.

'So, you and George, huh,' said Eve as she helped Jesse restock a cupboard at the hospital a week later.

Jesse blushed a bit. 'Please don't. We haven't done anything yet. We talked a lot after it.'

'What about you and Sam then?' Eve gave her sister a look as she stored away medical supplies.

Jesse shrugged slightly. 'I don't know, Eve. I don't think we were ever going to last. You know he lost his heart to Cali. I was the rebound and ever since all of this started, we'd drifted apart even further. I just don't think we'd be a lasting couple. And him not being here, actually helps to see it from a different perspective.'

'Have you talked to Cali yet?'

'No. We have avoided each other ever since the last meeting. So, you're not mad at me?'

'Not my problem, sis. You're the one who's going to have to deal with it sooner or later.'

* * *

'I did what?' asked Sam incredulously.

They sat in Violet Ocean's office and therapy room. With warm earthy colours, wooden panels and comfy chairs, the room was designed as a space away from the sterility and coolness from the hospital.

Violet picked up the page and repeated her statement. 'You started a fire at school. Mixed some chemistry materials and threw them into the container. They found you standing before it with a grin on your face holding a "dead man's hand", muttering about Pandora.'

'That's not what happened,' said Sam defensively. 'I actually fought Pandora. I used the dead man's hand as a source of magic.'

'And as I have told you before, the Greco-Roman mythology isn't real,' explained Violet Ocean. 'There is no Mount Olympus on top of the Empire State Building.' She stopped and watched him staring at his hands. 'Does Peter Johnson ring a bell?'

Sam nodded. 'It's a book series about a boy with ADHD and dyslexia who turns out to be a Greek demigod and I know that it's fiction. But Camp Half-Blood is real,' said Sam as he stared at Violet. 'It's were I got the necklace.' Sam picked up the string with three beads on it.

'No, it isn't,' said Violet. 'But Camp Delphi is.' She picked up the brochure. 'A summer filled with Ancient Greek activities for heroes in training. That includes horseback riding, archery, volleyball matches, mythology classes, sword fighting, debating and much more,' she read.

'And you're telling me I've been there?' Sam looked at the beads.

Violet nodded. 'Three years in a row. Ever since you've read _The Lightning Heist,_ you wanted to go there. And they introduced the entire aspect of demigods to the thing because of the book's popularity. It's being called Camp Half-Blood by people because Riordan gave them his blessing.'

'And I was put into the Hecate cabin,' he said.

'Yes. They randomly put children into the cabins or something,' said Violet. 'And the counsellors and older campers act as brothers and sisters to the younger ones.'

'Okay, let's say that this is all true. How do you explain Sarah Parker?'

'I can't. There is no record of you ever meeting a girl named Sarah Parker. You did spend some time in foster care with a family, and the girl's second name was Sarah. But she wasn't a Parker.'

'So, if all of it makes sense in the real world, then why am I here? What got me here?'

'Your father's death,' replied Violet neutrally.

'He died six years ago,' said Sam clutching the beads.

'In a vehicle collision with a drunk truck driver,' said Violet. 'You were traumatized by the experience.'

'Of course,' growled Sam. 'It cost me a leg and my mortal parent. But you wouldn't understand that.'

Violet nodded. 'I can't. But you could try to explain it to me,' said Violet in a comforting tone. 'Give me the life story of Sam Winter.'

Sam stared at the sky and started talking.

* * *

When the wind stopped rushing in her ears, Sarah Parker opened her eyes. She found herself still clutching the goddess' fur as she soaked in the view of densely packed forest trees. The sound of birds and other animals reached her as she slid off of Lupa's back.

'We are here,' spoke the wolf goddess as she became smaller again.

Sarah turned around and saw the blackened ruins of what was supposed to be the Wolf House. She clutched the rabbit even tighter and pulled at her duffel strap.

'What will we do here?'

'You will do as told,' said Lupa. 'I will be training you, judging you if you're worthy of joining the legion.'

'My brother joined the legion, so will I,' said the legacy defiantly.

'Your brother was an _honorary_ member of the legion prior to his exile. He was never trained nor judged by me. His grandfather gave him the tattoo,' spat Lupa.

'Nevertheless,' responded the girl staring at the crumbled building.

'Then we shall begin. Enter my den through the door and if you succeed, you'll be able to walk out.'

Sarah Parker opened the door and walked through it. Lupa joined her in human form and closed it.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15 Repairs**

'He died, I lived, got used to the leg and the trauma, got adopted, ended up in the care of Brenner and ended up sitting here.'

Violet let out a laugh. 'Now, once again and tell me the story you believe to be the real thing. In detail.'

Sam groaned. 'I can't. I can't bloody remember it all. It's as if someone blocked my memories of it and I get flashes. It's why I can't remember my old address either. But Sarah Parker was my baby sister and she's real.'

Violet sighed. 'That's all pretty convenient isn't it? You only get the things that fit into your delusion of being a so called demigod at Camp Half-Blood. Listen to what I am saying, Sam. You've been depressed ever since your father died. The magic of chance and mathematics got mixed with the Greek myths and Camp Delphi to create a fantasy in which you were this amazing fighter.'

'It was not a fantasy!'

'You have mysterious siblings who are expert mages and fighters, you've mentioned demigods,' Violet stared at him intently as she stressed the last word. 'Who can conjure lightning, cause storms, create robots. You defeated Pandora, who isn't the girl from the myths, but a murderous psychopath, slayed monsters with the help of Spes – a Roman goddess – and you've been able to harm a god, no not just a god, but Zeus, king of the Olympians.'

'And I have! But that last part wasn't my fault, that was Nyx' doing.'

'Sam, please try to see beyond your delusion. Try and see it from my point of view. We were close to a breakthrough before you relapsed. I should've never let you read the book.'

'Close to a breakthrough from what?'

'Your grief stricken fantasy,' spoke Violet in a warm tone.

She took a seat next to him and put his hands in hers. 'Just listen to what I will tell. Hear me out completely and then you get to talk. Deal?'

'Deal.'

'You've been with us for little less than a year. Brenner brought you in because he got a call from your foster parents. They couldn't find you after they got home. They had seen your note saying that you'd be back soon.

Brenner found you at your father's grave. Sitting on the floor muttering nonsense with a bleeding stump, surrounded by books on mythology, mathematics and obscure magic and playing cards. This was on the third anniversary of the accident.' She watched Sam as he had his eyes were closed and his face was pale.

She felt his emotions shifting and turning as his facial expression changed into a grimace.

'You told him that you'd found a way to go to the Underworld and see your dad one last time. But it required you to die first, but magic would bring you back.'

Sam had clasped her hands making her slightly wince. 'I remember telling him that. He brought me here the same day and he had me admitted as a security risk to myself.' Tears streamed from his eyes. 'God, I miss my dad.'

Violet gave him a hug as she stroked his hair. Tears flowed from her own eyes. They broke the hug and Sam wiped his eyes and nose. He threw the beads on the table.

'Can you fix me?'

* * *

'Let's try that again.'

The eldest mage lowered his sword and let his siblings get up. The broad built man flexed his muscles and cracked his knuckles.

Jade dusted herself off and raised her sword whilst Ronan raised a shield and spear.

Both attacked simultaneously. John deflected the spear with his own swords, and used a magical barrier to block Jade's attack.

'No fair,' gritted Jade. 'Why are you using magic?'

'Because you need to learn to fight with a disadvantage.'

John swung his blade at Jade, who retaliated by ducking under the swing and bringing herself closer to John. Meanwhile Ronan had recovered and aimed his spear at John's shoulder. The mage dropped to the ground and evaded the thrust of both weapons.

Ronan moved his spear out of the way to not hit Jade, while the female mage moved away from John. John launched a spell at his brother who slipped on a patch of ice and managed to kick Jade to the ground again with a leg sweep.

Jade released a ferocious grunt and amassed the animal spirits in the rings on her fingers before springing back up and swinging at her brother. Suddenly she was jerked back onto the ground and felt a sword tip on her neck.

'The objective was no magic,' said Suzan with pitch black eyes.

Jade panted and let the spirits loose again, dissipating her magical powers. 'I'm done for today,' she spat. 'He doesn't have to be a jerk to train us.'

'Clarisse is waiting for you over there.' Suzan pointed her sword at the daughter of Ares who swung her blade at a dummy. 'She agreed to train you today. Ronan, Eve is waiting for you at the archery range.'

Ronan nodded before transforming in a bird and flying off.

'Now John, you wanted to play with magic. Let's play. Unarmed combat good for you?'

John shot her a scathing look. 'They have to learn to fight against the odds. Magic won't always solve their problems.'

'I know that,' retorted Suzan a she threw four daggers into the arena floor and used them as posts for her magical barrier. Purplish light flickered around the handles. 'But it's in our blood, so why not use it.'

Suzan rubbed her gloved hands against each other and her gloves got the same aura at the daggers.

John rolled his shoulders and muttered a spell. His own hands got engulfed in orange light.

The siblings advanced on each other and started deflecting and punching in a rapid sequence. Light bounced against the light of the setting sun.

* * *

'Looks like you're getting stronger,' said Elizabeth as she added another weight to the machine.

Sam wiped off his brow and grinned at the grey eyed and blonde orderly who was assigned to him for the day. 'Blame the "healthy body, healthy mind" creed of this place.' Sam pushed the weights away with his only leg.

'And you seem to have a keen interest in the kitchen classes,' replied Elizabeth with a grin of her own.

'I have to eat some decent food sometimes, right? It's not because you orderlies get decent food, that we inmates get that too you know?'

'You call the microwave lasagne decent?' said Mike the other orderly.

'It's better than the drab they feed us,' said Mary with a long distance high five to Sam. 'Thank god for Saturday nights out and burgers.'

'Yeah that reminds me. Please bring me back some fried chicken?' pleaded Sam. 'I'll do chores, or anything else, but please don't let me eat the Saturday food again.'

'We'll see what we can do,' said Elizabeth. 'But give me twenty single leg jumps before you go to painting class.'

Sam groaned as he took the jumping rope from Elizabeth.

* * *

Rain and Cali were at the stables taking care of the horses. Rain brushed her personal horse, while Cali took care of a black one.

'How are you feeling, Calliope?'

Cali let out a yelp and dropped her brush. She picked it up and walked to the other side of the horse she was cleaning to be closer to the daughter of Aphrodite. 'You talk?'

'Yes, Calliope, I know how to speak,' said Rain continuing to brush her horse. She moved around with a crutch and a leg in a brace.

'I'm sorry, but it's just that nobody has heard you talk before. And you've been here for over half a year.'

'I know,' said Rain calmly as if she was trying to listen to her own voice. 'I have my reasons to not have spoken for months. So, how are you doing?'

'Good, considering the circumstances.'

'I know that you and Sam were lovers once, but it seems to me that you were happy being friends, despite his insistence.'

'We were happy at the beginning, you know. But then the summer ended and we talked less during the year. And the second year, I started noticing things about Sam that I didn't see before.'

'His dark cloud,' said Rain rubbing her horse on the nose.

Cali nodded. 'Sam was troubled before I met him, and even after the whole Pandora thing, he was still being so negative about himself. And one day I couldn't stand it anymore.'

'So you ended it.'

'Yeah. But Sam had to know it was coming.'

Rain shrugged. 'Not everyone can. But why are you so reluctant to let him go?'

Cali turned to the girl and shot her a look with raised eyebrows. 'What do you mean?' she whispered.

Rain let out a laugh. 'I am a daughter of Aphrodite, Calliope. And I am not blind. You still love him despite you having dated, what's his name, Jack?'

'Liam,' spat Cali. 'He thought I could use a rebound, but it was me who was his rebound.'

Rain shot her a grin. 'So Liam wasn't your guy. Surely there have been others?'

Cali shook her head. 'Nope.'

'Really?'

'Yes, now can we please drop it? Sam and I are friends, nothing more.'

'Whatever you say, Cali.'

The daughter of the sea never saw the glint in her friends eyes.

* * *

'Are you sure, I am ready?' he asked.

Phoebe straightened the collar of his shirt. 'Doc says you're all clear, but you've got our number in case you need help, right?'

Sam nodded. 'But it's weird going out there again after being here for more than a year.'

'Those three weeks beyond a year don't make it that much longer, Sam. Now, is everything packed?'

'I guess, but can't seem to find my headphones or mp3-player,' he replied lifting up his duffel bag.

'You never came in with those. They must be at home.'

'Yeah, home.'

A home he couldn't really remember. The foster family had declined to take him back in, so it meant that he would live on his own for a while with a social worker checking in twice a week. Sam had met Laurel two weeks before and she looked younger than she actually was, but she seemed a nice person.

Sam followed Phoebe to the front the door. He smiled as he saw the gathering that awaited him. Some of his fellow patients had made a sign that said: Good Luck in Vegas Sam! He had told several people that he had wanted to visit it to pay tribute to his father.

'You better behave out there in the wild,' said Elizabeth as she hugged him. 'And don't forget to keep up the training.'

'I won't,' promised Sam.

Sam said goodbye to all the people there and promised Mary that he'd come and visit to play chess with her. The last person in the line was Violet Ocean. They briefly hugged before she handed him three things.

'The book,' said Sam as he let his fingers slide over the hardcover edition of The Lightning Heist. 'And the beads.'

'These are tokens of the past, this is one for the future,' said Violet as she handed him a small box.

'A box?'

'A GPS-beacon, with a panic button. For that trip you wanted to make before going back to school in the fall. You better come back with nice pictures for us to see.' Violet poked him in the chest despite Sam being slightly taller.

'Gee, thanks doc.'

Sam said a final goodbye and left the facility and climbed into the waiting cab.

'May the Fates be merciful,' said Violet. 'Phoebe, let her know that he's out.'

'Roger that, Violet.'


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16 Girl Scout**

The straps of the backpack cut into his shoulders as he pushed through the dense branches. The brightening light showed that a clearing in the woods was up ahead. It meant a place to put up his tent and start his camping trip, his journey. With a grunt he repositioned the weight and continued.

Sam reached the clearing just as a swear came from a pitched tent. From it emerged a girl sucking her thumb with a pained look on her face. Silver hair was bound in a ponytail. The girl cursed the sky as she looked at her thumb. She stopped the moment she spotted him.

'Hi,' he said as he walked over.

'What do you want?'

'Just checking. Are you alright?'

'Yeah, it was nothing. The string snapped and slashed my fingers.' She balled her fingers and breathed out. 'You trekking?'

Sam nodded. 'My second day. Came from Montauk. Sam Winter.' He extended his hand.

She shrugged and disappeared into her tent.

He retreated to the other end of the clearing and dropped his pack on the ground with a thud. Sam picked up his canteen and took a long swig. He stared at the grey tent in front of him. The girl had made a fire pit and had cooked on it, based on the metal structure suspended over it.

'Probably a girl scout,' he muttered before opening up his pack and pulling out the first things he needed: a tarp and his tent. He folded the trap open and fastened it to the four pickets that came with it.

Hunter watched from the shadows as he struggled with his tent. Based on his muddy coat and weary look, she assumed that he hadn't been able to put it up the day before either. She had updated Thalia on the situation and had received word that she was to keep him safe as more monsters had been spotted. He screamed in frustration and cast the tent aside before stalking off with an uneven pace. After spending three weeks with no company but herself waiting for him, she grinned and was determined to let him suffer for a while more.

* * *

Later that evening he was writing in his journal as he heard someone approaching. He shone his torch in the direction and found the girl standing in front of him. Her fire was still going strong in the distance.

'Hey, do you need any help with the tent?' she offered. 'I am Hunter by the way.'

He closed up his journal and stared at her. 'You saw me take it off, didn't you?'

Hunter nodded.

'And so you decided that I needed help?'

'Look, I let you struggle with it for my amusement. I have been waiting here for three weeks in bloody solitude and I really could use some excitement. I am sorry.' She took a step forward.

'Piss off.' He grunted before turning away.

'Alright, we could have breakfast in the morning.'

He didn't respond.

* * *

 _The waves crashed into the beach. He sat next to his pack and stared at the sea, slowly making its way towards him. It had been ages since he had seen the sea. The smell of salt prickled in his nose. Sam watched the sun slowly setting and sea gulls flying through the air. In the distance he saw a girl and woman playing with a Frisbee._

 _'Beautiful isn't it?'_

 _Sam turned around and saw a fisherman sitting next to him. The man had a beard and tanned skin, as if he spent most of his time in the sun. Green eyes stared at him._

 _'Yeah,' replied Sam._

 _'You traveling?' asked the fisherman pointing at the backpack._

 _'Yes. Left New York hitching a ride to here, and I'll go back towards the national park later. Haven't decided what to do after that.' Sam pulled up his hood to shield him from the wind._

 _'You could go all the way towards the Pacific Ocean, I heard it has quite the fish to catch,' said the man._

 _A Frisbee landed before his feet and Sam saw a small girl walking up to him. She had brown hair, and looked five years old. She stared at him and the fisherman._

 _'Can I have that back?' She pointed at the bright green disk._

 _'Sure.' Sam picked up the disk and handed it over to the girl as a woman approached them. She had beautiful hair and eyes that were bright._

 _'Estelle? Are you…' The woman stopped and stared at the fisherman intently, brows knitted in a puzzled look._

 _'Hi there,' said the fisherman. 'You enjoying a day at the beach as well?'_

 _'Yes,' said the woman putting a hand of the girl's, Estelle, shoulder._

 _'Mom, why does he have a metal leg?' The girl looked up at her mother, whilst clutching the Frisbee._

 _'Estelle, you're not supposed to ask that,' said the mother with a look._

 _'It's fine,' said Sam. 'I get used to it. I have it because I was in an accident.'_

 _The girl's eyes went wide. 'Did it hurt?'_

 _'Estelle!'_

 _Sam laughed. 'Yes it did, kiddo, but it's all better now. And now I am part robot.' He lifted up the shorts to show the metal knee. 'Want to feel it?'_

 _She stared at her mother who sighed and let her go. Estelle walked over and put her hand on the metal. She pulled back. 'It's cold!' She retreated to her mother. 'Mom, isn't that Mr. Ocean?' Estelle pointed at the fisherman._

 _'I don't think so.' The mother stared at the fisherman._

 _Sam could've sworn the air grew thick with tension that very moment. There was something between these two and he was not seeing it._

 _'I must be off for today,' said Mr. Ocean with a smile as he packed up and left._

 _'You look hungry,' said the woman. 'Have you eaten?'_

 _Sam shook his head. 'I wasn't supposed to stay here this long. And now I missed my shot at getting back to the city.'_

 _'Why don't you eat with us, and I'll take you back to the city,' said the woman. 'It's the least I can do after what Miss Nosey asked.' She poked at her daughter who giggled._

 _'Thank you very much. I am Sam Winter.' He held out his hand._

 _'Sally Jackson.' They shook hands with waves crashing into the shore._

* * *

The next morning he found himself shivering in his sleeping bag. Turned around and saw Hunter sitting by the fire, stirring in a pot. Sam slowly got up and inspected the stump before dressing it up and putting the prosthetic leg on. He picked some food from his stash and strolled over to Hunter and her warm fire.

'Morning, sunshine,' said Hunter with a yawn.

'Morning.' He stood there, staring at the fire and pot.

'Sit.' Hunter pointed at the large block of wood. 'What have you got there?'

'Some dried vegetables. And this.' Sam showed her the yellow bag.

Her eyes grew big. 'Cheetos? Actual, cheese flavoured, non-flaming Cheetos? Can we…'

'Be my guest. Consider it a peace offering for my rude behaviour yesterday.' Sam took a seat still holding a pack of vegetables.

'Throw the vegetables in. It's rice.' Hunter opened the bag and smelled it before eating one. 'Thanks for this, it's been a while since I had these. They aren't allowed.' As the food was cooking, they shared the bag of Cheetos.

'So, what's your deal? I mean, camping out here for three weeks on your own?' Sam scooped up some rice from his mess-tin.

'I was supposed to meet up with a friend from the Hunters for a camping trip, but she cancelled on me after a week, so I decided to stick around and earn a couple of badges,' replied Hunter with a mouth full.

'The Hunters? As in a girl scout troop?'

Hunter nodded. 'The Hunters of Artemis, you know, named after …'

'The maidens who hunt alongside Artemis, Greek goddess of the Hunt and Moon.' Sam sighed and deposited his kitchenware. 'Maybe this isn't such a great idea.'

'What? Why?'

'I am not your regular guy, Hunter. I wasn't well until a month ago.'

'You only lost your leg a month ago?' Hunter stared at the piece of metal sticking out of his pants leg.

'Oh no, I was institutionalized.' He smiled. 'Yeah, I was certified crazy until four weeks ago. I was lost and wanted to see something of the world before going back into my old life.'

'Is that why you write?'

Sam nodded. 'It's a logbook of sorts, for my shrink. And I have a beacon with me so they can track me if necessary.'

Hunter tensed up for a second, scanning the edges of the wood for activity. 'Did you do something related to the Greek gods?'

'I thought I was a demigod, son of Hecate. Like the Peter Johnson book.'

'That's an awesome book. Dyslexic here.'

'ADHD here,' replied Sam. 'But I understand if you'd want me to leave.'

'Why would I do that?'

'Because I was in a mental institution?' Sam pointed at himself.

Hunter shrugged. 'I have dealt with bigger problems, I'll stick around and keep you safe. And after breakfast we're going to take a look at your tent and backpack. That thing is at least ten pounds too heavy for you.'

'You really are a girl scout,' said Sam with a grin.

'Shut it, nutcase,' replied Hunter with a smile of her own.

* * *

They had packed up and left their camping site. Together, they had made their plan to hike along a trail inside the national park that would eventually lead them to the Buckeye trail. From there they'd make their way to somewhere west.

'Seriously Sam, a hacksaw?' Hunter climbed the hill.

Sam shrugged. 'I haven't done this before you know, I thought it might help.'

'For what? We're not going to cut though anything rough. You'll have to use those soft hands to break off branches.'

'You're not going to go easy on me are you?'

'We have a saying in the Hunters: you're good or you get better. They don't do easy.'

'What kind of girl scout company is that?'

'The kind that survives,' replied Hunter with a grim look.

Sam grunted and joined Hunter on top of the hill.

Later that night they set up their tents on a small camping site. Hunter got a fire started in the already constructed fire pit as Sam started on the food. He cooked some pasta with some pieces of beef in a tomato sauce.

'You really know how to cook,' said Hunter. 'This stuff is delicious.'

'It's pretty easy, you just gotta mix in the right ingredients.'

'Where'd you learn to cook?'

'Mental institution,' replied Sam bluntly.

'No, seriously.'

'I'm not kidding, I learned how to cook as part of the extracurricular activities. I learned how to clean vegetables with razor sharp knives, slice and dice'em and cook'em on high fire.'

'So they let you play with knives and fire?' Hunter raised an eyebrow as she took another bite.

'Under extreme vigilant supervision for the first two months, after that they learned I was there to become better and to learn. But yeah, I could kill with a potato knife,' replied Sam with a grin.

Hunter deposited her tin and unsheathed a ten inch blade from her boot and stuck it in the wood. 'This is my tool of choice when it comes to knives.'

'That's one hell of a potato knife.' Sam finished his meal and grinned as Hunter rolled her eyes at him.

Days later, Hunter returned with her hunting bow slung around her shoulder. The mixture of silver and cameo still made Sam wonder how she was able to hide so well in the woods. In her hand she carried a dead rabbit.

'Dinner is ready, we could save the dehydrated foods if we gather some fresh food along the way.'

Sam stared at the rabbit. 'It probably is a stupid question, but I take it you know how to clean it?'

Hunter nodded. 'Then you can cook it. I'd like to see you try some fresh meat for a change.'

'Any chance you can share some of that Hunter skill with a poor hiker like myself?'

'Anything for a good meal,' replied Hunter as she took out her blade and took a seat.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17 Helping Hands**

Over the next few days the two partners continued their hike along the trail. For some reason, Sam had the feeling that they made great progress as they were now on the outskirts of the national park. They had discussed their plans, and Hunter had suggested getting to Indianapolis, as she knew some people there who might be helpful on their own journey.

'I'm not going to hike to Indianapolis, Hunter. I know that you are one hell of a survivalist and hiker, but I have a leg that needs caretaking every couple of miles.'

'Then what do you suggest, Sam? I don't have that much cash on me and I can't drive.'

'We go by train, and don't worry about cash. I've got us covered.'

'Hi there,' said a female voice from the shadows.

Hunter quickly grabbed her bow and an arrow, as Sam grabbed a knife.

A dark haired woman walked towards them. She wore a red flannel shirt and special hiking boots. She was carrying a walking stick and large backpack. Her eyes were dark grey an stared very intently at Hunter.

'I don't mean any harm, I'm just very hungry and that food smells very good. I have very little money, but I can offer some supplies in return for a piece.'

Sam relaxed as the lady in her thirties deposited the stick and backpack. 'We'd be happy to help. Do you have a tin?'

The woman nodded as she opened up her pack.

'Are you hiking on your own?' asked Hunter as she slowly deposited the bow and arrow.

'Yes. I am Umbra by the way.' Umbra held out her tin.

Hunter introduced them to the woman. Sam took it and scooped in some of the stew he made. Umbra added some of her own rations. Sam saw cashew nuts and corn being added.

'What brings you two here?' she asked with a mouth full.

'She's a girl scout who lost her way and I am a helpless cook who got drafted into an odyssey.'

'Very funny, Sam,' said Hunter. 'We met two weeks ago and we decided to stick together for a while. We're going to see if we can get to the East Coast. You?'

'Just on my monthly hike. I was hoping to see some owls in the night, but alas. But I found your scent and this stuff if really good.'

'It isn't much, but it usually tastes good.'

Sam ate as he saw a silent conversation happening between Umbra and Hunter. The girl scout looked at the woman with a look that asked why she was here, while Umbra gave a visual reply.

'So, what do you do?' asked Sam.

'I am an ornithologist, I specialized in owls,' said Umbra. 'I do a lot of fieldwork while hiking.'

'Neat. Sounds like a cool job.'

'It isn't easy combining it with motherhood, but I get by. My children can take care of themselves, so it helps.'

'Aren't you worried about them?' asked Hunter.

'Aren't your parents worried about you?' replied the woman. 'Two sixteen year olds camping in the middle of nowhere, with wild animals all around.'

'I have no parents,' replied Sam softly. 'Just a former caretaker who I haven't seen for a couple of months and a new one who looks as if she's still in high school.'

'My father died when I was three, and my mom got married to my stepfather, who was a horrible man. I ran away from them and went camping. Normally I would've joined my fellow hunter, but that was not possible.' Hunter emptied her tin.

'That's harsh,' said Umbra.

Hunter nodded. 'But my scouting group has been really supportive, so I can crash with them if needed.'

They sat in silence for a while as Umbra finished up on her meal.

'Not to be rude,' said Hunter. 'But I am tired and need my beauty sleep. It was nice to meet you Umbra, hope you get to see some owls on your hike.'

'Nice to meet you too, Hunter.' Umbra picked up het bag and watched Hunter disappear in her tent. 'She's pretty hard.'

'Yeah, but she knows how all of this works, so I couldn't be happier with her as my partner.'

'One can't save the world on their own,' replied Umbra with a smile. She thanked him before vanishing in the woods.

Sam stared in the flames as the memory played in his mind.

* * *

 _'What are you saying, Cali?'_

 _We sat at a beach, staring at the calm sea under a moonlit sky. The faint sound of campfire songs being sung collided with the crashing waves. She was wearing an orange shirt and jeans. She had short black hair. I seemed to be wearing the same shirt, but with cargo shorts underneath._

 _'Come on Sam, we've been together for two years and the few moments we've had together have been… stormy.' Cali stared in his eyes for a moment._

 _'Can't we work this out? I mean, I still like you, even if we argue a lot.' I drew a spiral in the sand._

 _'Of course you do, but I honestly think that maybe we need a break from each other as lovers,' said the girl. 'I am breaking up with you.'_

 _'It's the leg isn't it?' I whispered._

 _'Oh for Hades' sake,' she huffed. 'Not this again. It's not the leg, Sam. It's you. I loved you, admired you, but you've always had that sad vibe to you. And you refuse to talk about it. And honestly, I am tired of it.'_

 _'I… Just never… I…'_

 _'See? You need to learn to talk about this. I am truly sorry about what happened to your father, but you are still haunted by it and it is holding you back.'_

 _The words hurt me, but somewhere I knew that they were true._

 _'So, you want us to be friends?' I asked hopefully._

 _'We can try,' she said with a sad smile._

 _Eventually the conversation stalled and she left. I just sat there, staring at the stars._

* * *

With sore feet and a painful stump, the two arrived at the Indianapolis Union Station. Sam winced at every step as Hunter had to sustain him. He was pale and sweat dripped from his brow.

'That's the last time you don't tell me about your stump,' grunted Hunter as she guided them out of the station towards a back exit. 'God, I hope that they're home.'

They arrived at a large door. Hunter used the knocker and waited. After a while a buzzing sound came from the entrance.

'Yes?' asked a young voice.

'Georgie?' asked Hunter. 'Are Emmie and Jo home? It's Hunter Kowalski and I need help.'

The door opened and a woman in her sixties appeared as she lowered her bow and arrow.

'I am sorry for not messaging before, but he's in terrible shape.' Hunter lifted Sam's head.

'Get in,' ordered Emmie.

The pair walked in and followed Emmie as the door closed itself. Not ten feet away they arrived at the medical bay. Hunter removed Sam's backpack and helped Emmie get him into the bed.

'Hunter,' croaked Sam. 'Sorry about this.'

'Shut up and let her help. No need to be sorry,' said Hunter as she sliced his shirt open.

Emmie walked over to the rack with potions and picked one. She held it under Sam's nose and as soon as he sniffed it, he was out cold.

'Emmie, I am here…'

The woman shook her head. 'Britomartis told us she'd send us some lost people. I don't need to know right away. Go freshen up and get something to eat, I'll join you once I'm done. Georgie is upstairs, Jo will be back soon with groceries. And pick out any room you like, you are the sole visitor for now.'

Hunter squeezed Sam's hand before disappearing with their packs.

Emmie removed Sam's trousers with a pair of scissors before gently removing his prosthesis. By removing the limb, sheath and liner, she exposed a red stump. She spotted a couple of scrapes and cuts, but the largest wound was a blister that had ruptured.

The former Hunter gloved up with sterile gloves and started disinfecting and cleaning the wound.

* * *

They sat at the dinner table. Hunter watched Georgie drawing at the smaller table while Jo poured her a mug of tea and offered her a cookie.

'What brings you here, Hunter?' asked the woman with frost-coloured hair.

'I needed a safe place to crash for a couple of days. When he became ill, I thought that you could help.'

'Are you on a quest?' asked Emmie as she joined them. 'He's a son of Hecate, but his powers have been bound.'

'He's Sam Parker. He got exiled as a result of Nyx' plans. No one saw it coming, except Artemis. She asked for his exile to keep him from Nyx' influence and asked me to keep an eye on him. Why me I have no idea, but I intend to see him safely back to one of the camps.'

'I heard something about that,' said Jo. 'He's one of my siblings who is powerful, really powerful.'

Hunter nodded as she nibbled on the cookie. 'I've seen him fight. The kid's good, yet unconcerned for his own well-being. He would kill the gods if they stood in his way of protecting his sister.'

'Yet, he doesn't remember you?'

Hunter shook her head. 'I don't think he spent that much time remembering each Hunter at camp and Hecate covered up his memories with the Mist to keep his magical bounds stronger, but he's remembering things.' She tapped the book in front of her. 'There are questions in there, descriptions of people he knows, Olympian gods and more. He doesn't seem to be able to connect them together, but he will remember eventually.'

'You seem to quite concerned about him, a boy,' said Jo with a sly smile.

'He's a good guy, not one of those jerks like my stepdad. And he saved my life by distracting a bear long enough so that I could kill it.'

'That's annoying,' said Emmie. 'But then again you saved his by bringing him here.'

'How is he doing?'

Emmie consulted her tablet. 'His temp is decreasing, but the infection is going to last a couple of days at least. And he could use some more vitamins in his system.'

'Since you'll be staying here for a few days, you're on vegetable duty,' said Jo as she rose.

'Seriously, why do I always end up with that?' Hunter stuffed the cookie in her mouth and chomped down.

'It's either that, or latrine duty, young lady,' said Emmie.

'Give me a knife,' said Hunter spraying crumbles.

* * *

'I don't know where you've brought me, but this place is awesome. The room with the pool table seemed to appear out of nowhere.'

He grabbed the doorframe and moved the crutch. A small grin appeared on his face. 'Should've told you that I hate being in infirmaries. They remind me of bad times.'

Before he could say something else, the eldest woman stood by his side and offered him a shoulder to lean on. She brought him to the nearest couch, in which he let himself be gently dropped.

'How are you walking around?' demanded Hunter before biting down on an apple. 'You've been out cold for two days.'

He shrugged. 'I really don't like being in infirmaries.'

'I guess we could prepare a room for you,' said the woman who helped him into the couch.

'Thank you …'

'Emmie, and that lady is Jo, short for Josephine. And Hunter you know.'

Hunter gave him a mock wave which made him laugh.

'And this girl,' Emmie pointed to the girl who was drawing on the table in front of him. Suddenly she looked up and stared him straight in the eyes. A shiver ran down his spine. 'Is …'

'Sarah?' Sam sat up straight and looked at the black pencil the girl was clasping in her hand.

'Georgina,' replied Emmie warily. 'Our adoptive daughter.'

Sam sank back into the couch. 'Christ. This isn't working.' He coughed and closed his eyes. He felt a warm hand on his forehead.

'Your temperature is rising again,' said Emmie worry in her tone.

'I am not going back to the infirmary.'

'Then you stay put. Hunter, bring him some water and an apple. He needs vitamins.'

As a plate of apple slices was deposited in front of him, Hunter also handed him a pen and his notebook. She took a seat opposite him.

Sam opened the book and started scribbling in it.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18 Silver Memories**

 _The house had a red front door. It struck him as quite odd, as he had never seen a house with a red front door, especially one with a brass knocker in the form of an eagle._

 _'You have a red door,' he said._

 _The woman smiled. 'It makes it easier to recognize our house. Not many houses with a red door, are there?'_

 _'I guess,' he muttered._

 _The man opened the door and invited him to enter. He walked using the cane the hospital had given him. He was still adjusting to walking with his new leg._

 _Somehow he felt immediately at home once he stepped through the doorway. Warm colours gave the house a comfy feeling. Uncertainly he walked through the hallway and made his way to the living room._

 _The room was furnished with two couches, a comfy chair, a TV set and fireplace. The space flowed into what he assumed was the dining room, as the second space had a large table to seat eight people. At the table sat two girls, one was older than him, she had to be sixteen. She wore a T-shirt bearing a cartoon unicorn. The other girl had to be their child, his new sister._

 _'Oh, you're back already,' said the older girl. She stood up and walked over to him._

 _He leaned on the cane and braced himself._

 _'Hi, you must be Sam, I am Felicity, I live across the street.'_

 _'Hi,' he responded meekly._

 _'Thanks again for coming over, Felicity,' said Anne-Marie. She held out a couple of bills._

 _'No problem. Give me a call if you ever need me. Bye, Sarah.'_

 _The little girl turned around, crayon clutched into her hand. 'Bye Felicity.' Felicity left._

 _She climbed down from the chair and walked over. 'Hi, I am Sarah. Are you my brother now?'_

 _'I am Sam. And I think so.'_

 _Before he could do anything, she gave him a hug, nearly toppling him over._

* * *

She walked into the room slightly panting, her brow sweaty thanks to the heavy cloak she was wearing. Her eyes scanned the attendees. Most of the counsellors were already there, except Thalia Grace and Piper McLean.

Lou Ellen took a seat and took out her knitting needles and the cap she was making for her unborn child. The cap she was making was a purple and yellow one, Hecate and Apollo in one.

'Nice to see you again, Lou Ellen,' started Chiron.

'Only here as a head counsellor,' she replied. 'Not joining the party, yet.'

'Don't be so stubborn, Lou,' said Annabeth Chase trying to stare down the daughter of Hecate. 'He's doing fine. Mom saw him.'

'Oh, so you're speaking to each other again?'

'She showed me their conversation in a dream,' replied the daughter of Athena.

'Are you still being a stubborn goat?' said a voice from the door opening. Charlotte Perkins stood there dressed in a jacket with a senator badge on it.

Lou dropped the needles. 'Oh no, you just turn around and tell Reyna or Frank to get their asses in here.'

'Can't do that. I am here on official New Rome/Camp Jupiter business.'

'And unofficial funny business,' said Thalia Grace as she entered the room with a smirk.

'Oh you lousy Pinecone face,' huffed Lou. 'This was an ambush.'

Charlotte shrugged before putting her hand on Lou's belly and kissed her fiancée on the cheek. 'Don't be mad, you knew they'd use me.'

'Of course I knew, I am not stupid,' gritted Lou.

Piper casually strolled in and smiled when she saw Lou sitting next to Charlotte as she took her seat next to Percy and Thalia. Lou shot her a dirty look, to which Piper responded by shrugging.

'Can we open this meeting already,' said Clarisse. 'I want to get some more time on the race track.'

'Our Roman friends have the floor,' said Chiron.

Charlotte cleared her throat. 'We have mobilized as many veterans as possible to reinforce the legion. In total that would bring us to about four hundred combatants and fifty medics. We have been preparing the legion with more practice, but without knowing the full scale of the enemy forces it'll be difficult.'

'Could you move to Camp Half-Blood if necessary?' asked Annabeth.

'We can send out about fifty legionnaires with the pegasi stationed at Camp Jupiter. The full legion would ask four days minimum. What about the Greek defences?'

'We have the barrier and the Athena Parthenos to protect the camp and New Athens as a last line of defence. We are about three hundred strong, but about fifty are too young or inexperienced for actual battle for now,' started Annabeth. 'If possible I would like to keep the young ones at bay. Those old enough to fight, but lacking could be used to guard the little ones.'

'What about heavy hitters and weaponry? Rome has a couple of ballistae and catapults. We've thought about forming squads of heavy hitters as a secondary attack force.'

'Heavy hitters?' asked Piper.

'People like those two,' said Charlotte pointing at Percy and Thalia. 'People who can hold off enemies by themselves with godly powers.'

'Oh right, well we have a couple of those too,' said Piper glancing at LaRue. 'A cabin full of them.'

The head-counsellor for Ares gave her a grin.

'That's not a bad idea. What if we include a healer or medic in each squad? That way we can spread our resources.'

'Where would you put the Hunters and Amazons?' asked Thalia.

'The ones who are better with a bow would be in the support. Those good enough could be placed into the front lines or squads,' said Charlotte. 'We don't have that many archers, but the weaponry would be helpful.'

'Alright,' said Thalia.

'Any news on where she might attack first?'

Chiron shook his head. 'Typhon has vanished for now, but monster activity has risen around New York and on the west coast. Our safest bet would be to divide our forces equally across both camps, whilst we keep an eye out so that one half can move to the other.

'But then we're stuck again,' said Annabeth. 'There is no way we can move half our campers in a matter of days, let alone hours.'

'By air would be the easiest way, but Zeus won't let all of us fly,' said Percy. 'Pegasi could help, but we only have so many.'

'The Labyrinth?' asked Charlotte.

Annabeth shook her head. 'It's in shambles and we'd risk getting lost in what remains.'

'We could do it,' said Lou staring at her hands.

'What?' said Piper.

'Move the campers. Sam would be able to do it, but without him, John, Circe and Suzan could manage it. If mom would be so happy to help, we could certainly do it. We could divide ourselves between both camps to provide magical back up in any other scenario. The Hecate kids at Jupiter are not trained to do what we can do.'

'So you'd help us?' asked Percy.

'Someone has got to keep you knuckleheads out of danger,' she said with a grin. 'Let John take out his frustration on the enemy alone and he'd wipe out a quarter without breaking a sweat. I'll talk to my brothers and sisters to see what they'd like to do.'

'What's the catch?' said Thalia squinting at Lou.

'Reyna needs to apologize to the entire cabin 20.'

'Good luck with that,' said Jason Grace.

* * *

'We've been here for a week and he's getting better. He and Josephine are getting closer as she showed him her workshop and he's been woodworking every day.'

Hunter sat on her bed with a cloud in front of her. In the cloud she saw Thalia and Artemis looking back at her. They were sitting in the goddess's tent.

'Memories?' asked Thalia.

She sighed. 'He's remembering more and more if I can read his notebook correctly. I've read descriptions of gods, campers and other people he's supposed to forget.'

'Hecate would never disobey an order from Zeus directly, but she's very protective of her children,' said Artemis. 'I can guess she has made her Mist manipulation less effective.'

'Maybe she couldn't as it could've turned him in a vegetable. You heard Circe,' said Thalia.

Hunter shrugged. 'Whatever the reason, it will make returning to the camps easier. Any news?'

The lieutenant stared at her patron. 'Turns out Sam was right, Nyx is preparing for war. We've had more monster sightings. Reports from the Amazons confirm them. Something is happening in the West as the Romans feel that storms are brewing. Apollo has mentioned that getting the sun to rise has become slightly harder every week.'

'What about the mages and Hecate?'

Artemis sighed. 'John and Ronan are still on edge. Lou and the girls have opened up to the campers of Half Blood. They have joined the preparations for war and such. Hecate hasn't shown herself at any of the Olympian meetings.'

'Alright. Any other news?' asked Hunter.

'Nothing interesting,' said Thalia. 'How are you doing, Kowalski?'

'Fine,' replied Hunter. 'I can get some exercise with Emmie as she still knows how to kick ass. The archery range here has become my second bedroom.'

'Always good to hear, Hunter,' said Artemis. 'We must be going.'

'Take care of yourself and we'll see you soon.'

Before she could reply, the connection was severed.

A knock on the door startled her for a moment.

She opened it and Sam appeared in the doorway.

'Were you talking to someone? Thought I heard voices.'

'No, just the radio. Can I help you?'

'We're getting ready for game night, are you joining?'

'Sure, give me five minutes.'

Sam grinned and disappeared down the hallway working his crutch. Hunter grabbed the disposable camera they bought two days prior during a trip into Indianapolis. For some reason she was actually enjoying her time with Sam. It had been a while since she had had such a close friend.

* * *

'So you and Hunter, huh,' said Jo as she handed him a chisel.

'What about us?' replied Sam with a look.

The woman stared at her half-brother and grinned. 'You know exactly what I am talking about.'

Sam drew the next sequence of symbols on the piece of smooth wood he was working on. 'We're not like that. She my hiking partner, nothing more. After this trip, we'll probably part ways and never see each other again.'

Sam looked at Jo who was working on his prosthetic leg. After seeing it, she offered to take a look and make it more robust and usable for hiking. She already had made it sturdier and now was working to give it more strength.

Sam finished his symbols and placed the piece of cypress wood in a lathe and gently spun the wood. Watching the lines of the symbols blur with the colour of the wood, Sam became mesmerized for a moment. He stopped the wood and blocked the tool.

'Alright, so hiking partners and nothing more?'

'That's right,' said Sam as he grabbed the chisel and hammer and started on the final piece of his project.

Later that day, Sam found Hunter at the gym which also held an archery range. Something that he found weird considering the dimensions of their home, but no one really explained it. He blamed it on his infection that was on the verge of disappearing.

'Hey Hunter,' he said as she threw one of her daggers at a nearby target.

'Hey Sam, done with woodworking for today?'

'Yeah, Jo is making the metal connectors and threading them together. After that I'll make the final markings and it'll be finished.'

'Neat.'

Sam wandered off to the rack that held multiple bows and arrows. 'You know how to use these, right?'

'You've seen me shooting a rabbit with one, doofus.'

'Could you teach me?'

'I could show you the basics if you'd like. If I didn't know better, Sam, I would be saying that you'd like to be a Hunter yourself.' Hunter picked up her daggers and stored them in sheaths.

'Oh no this is purely for my own pleasure.'

'Take the top one. And pick up some arrows.'

He picked up the bow. The weight of it felt right in his hands. The smoothness of the arrows sent a tingle across his fingers.

Hunter pointed to the spot before her, so Sam trudged over and laid the arrows down on a small table. She handed him the first arrow. Sam heard her speaking, but the words didn't register. He brought the arrow to the string, nocked the arrow and pulled the string taut before releasing it. The arrow flew through the air, and dug itself into the patch of sand in front of the target.

'Do that again,' said Hunter.

Sam repeated the action three more times. Each time a familiar tingle ran down his fingers. By the last arrow, he felt himself getting excited. Just before he released the final arrow, the sound of thunder roared in his ears.

'Sam, are you absolutely sure, you've never fired a bow and arrow?'

'Positive, or at least I can't remember it. It feels familiar though.'

'You're no champion with it, but someone has taught you the basics.'

Sam stared at the target and the bow. A name appeared in his mind.

'I think she did.'

'Who?' Hunter gave him a look.

'Eve. Her name is Eve and she was my friend.'


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19 Relieving an Itch**

Five days later the two of them were packing their bags. They had decided to get back on a trail and get to camping again before making their way towards the west coast again. To Las Vegas as a first stop.

'Thanks for all the help,' said Hunter as she hugged Emmie.

'No problem honey, we take care of those who wandered in here. And of fellow Hunters.'

'Many thanks for the great care,' said Sam putting on his leg. 'And for the awesome food.'

'Our pleasure,' said Jo. 'And it isn't every day that we get a cook and woodworker in here, so I am happy to have been of assistance.'

'Can I take your picture now?' asked Georgie.

'Wait a second Georgie,' said Emmie. 'We have some gifts for our travellers. Hunter.' Emmie handed her a new first aid kit and a knife in sheath.

'Aw Em, you shouldn't have.'

'Someone got to take care of that one,' said Emmie pointing her thumb at Sam. 'And these will help.'

'Hey, I am not that clueless in the wild.'

The three women stared at him with a look that told him that he was wrong. Sam huffed.

'Sam, I firstly give you this.' Jo handed him something that looked like a bundle of sticks. 'Hope you enjoy my additions.'

Sam undid the knot in the string and with a snap, the pieces locked into place. A four foot long walking stick with an rough tip and iron ring on top appeared in his hands. The some of the lines were filled with silver, so that the cypress wood seemed adorned with silver grains across the individual pieces. A black rubber handle was placed roughly on the edge of the first piece.

'This is so awesome,' said Sam. 'I love the additions. Thanks Jo.'

'That was you project, a kick ass walking cane? And you didn't make me one?'

'You don't have a metal leg, so no.'

'I demand you make me one,' said Hunter.

'I'll let you use it if you're nice to me,' said Sam with a smile.

As Hunter admired the carvings, Jo handed Sam a pair of goggles.

'These will come in handy when working with metal or wood,' said the daughter of Hecate. 'Nothing fancy but they'll do the trick.'

The lenses were a dark colour, not entirely black encased within bronze coloured frame, fused to a rubber piece to protect the eye sockets. The headband was made from a heavy duty but soft material.

Sam slipped them on and was amazed by the lightness of the thing. The pressure was slight and bearable and the lenses immersed the world in a purplish grey filter.

'These are wonderful,' said Sam. 'Custom made?'

'One of a kind,' replied Jo. 'Used to be mine, but they don't exactly fit anymore.'

'Thanks a million,' said Sam as he hung them around his neck.

The two embraced as Georgina took a picture.

Before departing, Georgina took another picture of the four of them. It showed Hunter and Sam with their arms around each other's shoulders with smiles on their faces.

* * *

She knocked on the door and waited. It had only been two days ago that the members of Cabin 20 had decided to end their self-imposed exile at camp. Lou had been able to convince her sisters to join their cause. John and Ronan were still not talking to other people or joining the activities.

Mia Black opened the door and stepped out. 'You ready, Cali?'

The daughter of Kymopoleia nodded. 'Thanks again for the offer. I could use some training.'

'You have a bathing suit on, right?'

Cali lifted her orange shirt to show the one piece she was wearing. 'Yes ma'am.'

'Beach or the lake?'

'Lake,' said Cali quickly.

Mia shot het a puzzled look with her blue eyes. 'Okay. There is no canoeing planned for today, so we have the place to ourselves.'

'Any news about Sam?' asked Cali as they strolled towards the lake.

Mia shook her head. 'Apparently Athena saw him while he was hiking, but he did not have any memories of us or his demigod life.'

'So it really worked.'

Mia nodded. 'Mom doesn't do half-assed work.'

'Neither do you. You guys gave us the silent treatment for six weeks.' Cali took off her clothes and laid them on the pontoon.

'We know,' replied Mia with a smirk. 'What do you want to work on?'

'Whatever you throw at me. If you can teach Sam something useful, I know I can learn from you.'

'Let's see what you can do,' said Mia as she walked onto the water and strolled ten feet away from the shore.

'Show off,' muttered Cali as she jumped in.

* * *

She pressed the button and the flash blinded him for a second. He rubbed his eyes with his free hand, while in the other he carried his self-made staff which held the three fish he had caught using the piece of wood as a makeshift fishing rod.

'What do you think?'

Hunter watched the son of Hecate walk towards the campfire while the sun had started to set over the lake.

'Those look pretty good. What will you be doing with them?' She stored the camera away and joined Sam at the fire.

'Why don't you cook them, I'll clean them out? Quid pro quo.'

Hunter shook her head with a grin. 'Deal. Grab your gutting knife and let's get started shall we?'

'Yes ma'am,' saluted Sam.

The two sat on the log that served as a couch and rudimentary preparation area. She chopped off the heads and dropped them in the pot that Sam was using to make the fish broth.

'Slice them open alongside their bellies and remove all the nasty bits. Like so.' The hunter showed Sam how to do it. 'Then open them up completely and remove the fish bone.' She lifted up the fishbone and showed it before dropping it in the broth pot.

'Okay, I think I got it.' Sam poked at the fish and managed to remove half a bone as the other part snapped off. 'Damn.'

'Want me to take over? Get the third one.'

'Sure. Any idea on how to prepare them? We don't have that much decent food with us.' He showed her a slight smirk as the hunter groaned.

'We still have some pasta left and you have some dried vegetables. We could use some spices to give the fish some better taste. Pepper?'

'Good, young padawan.' He sliced open the fish and removed the guts before removing the grate in its entirety. 'What's next?'

'We're grilling the fish with the skin, so we can leave on most part, but we can remove as much of the scales as possible,' said Hunter.

They cleaned the fish and placed them on the fire. The scent of cooking filled the air. Sam added some spices to the broth while Hunter continued to watch the fish.

'How is this?' asked Hunter pointing at the first fish.

Before he could reply, howling pierced the sky. Another wolf replied with a howl.

'Wolves?' asked her friend clutching his knife.

'Not here,' she said shaking her head. 'Could be another bear or bobcat. Get a bow from the tent.' Hunter unsheathed her silver hunting knife.

From the woods stepped a grey furred wolf with piercing yellow eyes. It was followed by a white wolf with clear eyes. He handed her the bow, while he grabbed his cane and knife.

The wolves stared them down for a full minute before vanishing back into the woods.

As the two relaxed for a second, a woman appeared next to the fire which made Sam jump, and Hunter tensed up.

The woman had chocolate red hair and silver eyes. She wore a brown cloak and hiking boots.

'That looks mighty delicious,' she said. 'Mind if I join?' The woman stared Sam in the eyes.

'Not at all,' he replied as Hunter saw him shiver slightly.

Hunter watched the woman, Lupa in human form, watch the son of Hecate as he prepared dinner. For some reason the goddess had a sad look in her eyes.

'Are you the cook?' asked Lupa.

Sam nodded. 'Nothing much though. I didn't quite catch your name.'

'Louve,' said Lupa with a feral grin.

'Lovely name,' said Sam neutrally as he rubbed his arm.

'Would you care for some broth with pasta or the fish?' asked Hunter

'The fish smells very tempting, but you need to watch out for wild animals,' said Lupa. 'The fish might attract some bears of bobcats.'

'We saw some wolves right before you appeared,' said Sam. 'Seemed quite at ease if you tell me.'

Hunter handed her spare tin to Lupa who drank some of the broth before trying the pasta. The god let out a huff.

'That is heavenly and warm.'

'Sam is quite the cook, you see,' said Hunter as she fought the urge to look away. 'Something he uses to take care of us.'

'You do the hunting, while he cooks?' replied the god with a sort of smile.

'Yes she does,' said Sam angrily. 'She's better with a bow, I am better with a skillet. To each their own, I'd say.' He rubbed his arm again.

'Are you alright?' asked Hunter worriedly. It was the tattoo.

'An old scar is itching,' he replied biting down on a fish.

'Old wounds tend to do that,' said Lupa. 'The Romans had a great way of relieving itches.'

'How?' asked Sam.

'They beat the itches in combat and made them part of the empire,' said Lupa with a grin.

Sam snorted and ate his fish. 'Conquer or die, is it not, Louve?'

Hunter and Lupa exchanged the briefest of glances as they heard the words float in the air. Birds flew up and a wolf howled in the night as the moon appeared in the sky.

'I believe the exact words were: I came, I saw, I conquered,' said the goddess. 'Caesar was a great one.'

'So was Nero, before he torched Rome,' replied Sam with a smirk.

'Bread and games do conquer the heart easily, but briefly,' said Lupa.

'Caligula was rather vicious too, or so I heard,' said Hunter.

'I never said Rome was perfect, but no one is,' said Lupa with a sad smile.

'You remind me of someone,' said Sam. 'But I can't remember her clearly though. Maybe you know her? Black hair, somewhat stoic girl, she scared me at one point, but I can't remember why.'

'That sounds like a girl I know from a summer camp I used to run,' replied Lupa. 'A bit strict, but fair.'

'Sounds about right,' said Sam, staring at the fire.

After a moment of silence Sam excused himself as he went to sleep in the tent.

'Why do we keep meeting gods?' whispered Hunter. 'First Minerva, now you. And he met Poseidon too.'

'Because we need him to regain his memories,' replied Lupa. 'Hecate hasn't shown herself for months. Circe told us that triggering his own memories of the gods might help. Nyx' army is growing with each passing week.'

'Is Sarah safe?'

'She made it to Camp Jupiter last night.'

* * *

 _He found himself staring at a city within a valley. A river flowed around it with bridges connecting both sides. On a large open space, he saw groups of armoured people engaging in battle._

 _He stood behind a girl. Her brown hair was plaited. She carried a small duffel bag on her back, whilst carrying a sword in one hand and a dagger in the other. He walked over to her. She turned to him and he saw her face. Black smudges adorned her forehead and left cheek, while a small cut stood on the right._

 _The girl wore an orange shirt that showed holes and tears in it, whilst her jeans was dirty. The belt she used also held the scabbard for her sword. A stuffed rabbit also hung on the belt. It was surprisingly clean compared to the rest of her attire._

 _In the briefest of exchanges he saw her looking straight at him._

 _'I finally made it, Sam. I hope you're okay too.'_

 _The image shifted. They stood in the middle of the field with the armoured people, legionnaires he remembered whilst rubbing his arm despite no itching._

 _Two people advanced from the crowd. One of them was a black haired girl wearing glimmering armour and a purple cape that glittered in the light. Her face stood calm, but her eyes betrayed relief. The second one carried a bow and wore lighter armour. He smiled._

 _'Thank the gods,' he muttered. 'She made it.'_

 _'Have you got anything for us?' asked the stoic girl._

 _The young girl dropped her duffel bag, but never let go of the dagger as she opened it and retrieved a cloth package that was held together by twine. She sliced the twine and revealed letters. She handed them over._

 _'Four letters,' said the young man. 'Two by former legionnaires, one by a sitting senator and one by an exiled honorary member of the legion.' He handed them to the older girl._

 _'My parents, a family friend and my brother,' replied the younger girl. She faltered for a moment._

 _The older girl grabbed her shoulder to steady her. 'We will discuss it tomorrow morning, let's get you to the infirmary, Sarah.'_

And then Sam shot wide awake, tears streaming down his cheeks.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20 New Fate**

'You seem happier than usual,' said Hunter as they waved at the driver who had dropped them off in Vegas.

'I had a nice dream,' he replied. 'And I am finally in Las Vegas.'

'Any particular reason you want to be here?'

'Family,' Sam replied staring at the lights of the Strip. He turned to the hunter who looked at him with a slight puzzled look. 'My dad. He loved card games and mathematics, used to gamble before I was born but he turned away to raise me.' Sam let out a laugh and wiped his eyes.

'How about we go find some place to stay the night? And I could use a decent shower.' Hunter wrapped her arm around his shoulders.

'I thought you Hunters enjoyed feeling connected to nature and dirt?'

Hunter punched him on the shoulder before they went to look for a place to stay.

* * *

'My feet are killing me,' said Sam after half an hour. 'And I am sweaty.'

'Don't you mean foot?' replied Hunter with a tired grin.

Sam stuck out his tongue before looking up and spotting a movie theater that advertised free air conditioning. 'Wanna go see a movie?'

'Anything interesting?'

Sam looked at the announcement board. 'Not much. Looks like it's a special night. We can choose between Zombie Night with _Shaun of The Dead_ and _Night of the Living Dead._ '

'By Romero?' asked Hunter not trying to hide her enthusiasm.

'Savini,' replied Sam as he watched Hunter's expression turn sour. 'Or there's the Female Character Night with _I, Tonya_ and _Wonder Woman_.'

'I haven't seen I, Tonya yet,' said Hunter. 'You up for it?'

'As long as I can sit for two hours I'm game,' said Sam as they walked into the theatre. 'And we're getting Cheetos.'

'Amen to that.'

* * *

'Damn, I didn't think ice skating could be that harsh,' said Hunter as she finished the large bag of Cheetos they had shared. Sam quickly snapped a picture as she lifted the bag to get out the last crumbs.

'Nice one, Hunter,' said Sam with a grin.

'For Pete's sake,' groaned Hunter as she lobbed the crumpled bag at his head. 'You better not print that picture or else…'

'Or else what?'

'I'll gillooly your ass.'

Sam only laughed at that as they started walking away from the movie theatre.

Half a mile later they found themselves in front of a small gathering.

'Pick the ace and get the money, pick a lady and you get no honey,' spoke the man as he shuffled the three cards.

The man in front of the table picked the right one, queen of spades. He muttered a curse as he dropped a crumpled bill on the table and left.

'Come on Sam, let's continue. I really want that shower,' said Hunter pleadingly.

'You kids wanna give it a try? Can't play for money 'cause the law, but I'd give the lady this necklace if you get it right.' The blond haired man with brown eyes showed Sam a silver wolf head with quartz eyes on a black string.

'Deal.' Sam slapped a five dollar bill on the table.

'Alright little man, keep your eyes on the prize. The ace.'

'Which ace is it?'

'Ace of hearts,' replied the man with a grin.

The man showed him the card of an intricate designed ace of hearts. He placed it in the middle. 'Look at the card, and keep it in sight. Keep your eyes on the prize.' He shuffled the cards back and forth. After a moment he stopped.

'Are you sure it's still there?' asked Sam.

'Of course,' rebuffed the man. 'I am not a con.'

'Then why don't you have an ace on the table?' whispered Sam. 'I see three queens on the table. The ace is up your sleeve.'

The man squinted at Sam and showed him a crooked grin. 'Your good, kid,' he whispered. 'Who are you?'

'Paul Winter's kid,' replied Sam.

'Alright. Take the necklace and leave me be.'

'And my five bucks,' said Sam. 'Or I could start screaming.'

The man grunted. 'Pick a card first.'

Sam picked the middle one. The queen of spades.

'Too bad kid,' the man nearly shouted. 'But hey, I am a good guy. Take the necklace and your money. Nice meeting you.'

Sam grinned back as he snatched the necklace and his money back. He walked away and joined Hunter as he handed her the necklace.

'It's really nice,' said Hunter as she put it on.

Sam only nodded and watched the card game again. A lady moved the cards around.

'How about we go in here?' said Hunter pointing at the casino.

'Any place with a bed is good for me.'

And so the two walked towards the building with a neon lotus flower as it's sign.

* * *

 _The grumpy looking man wearing the leopard shirt stared him in the eye. He stared back and glanced at his cards. Full house, aces over queens._

 _Next to him sat a black haired guy wearing the orange T-shirt. He seemed nervous. Across from the guy sat an older man in a wheelchair. He too seemed nervous, but less than the other one._

 _'Are you sure you want to do that?' asked Grumpy with a smile._

 _'All-in, let's see how lucky you are,' he boasted._

 _The man slid his coins across the velour patch, so did he. The grumpy man added a final coin to the stack_

 _The man took a mouthful of Diet Coke and played his cards. A pair of kings and pair of two's thanks to the river._

 _He shrugged and laid down his cards. 'Guess I win.'_

 _The grumpy man grunted something and walked away muttering something about Pac-Man. The faint scent of strawberries filled the air._

* * *

They sat on the porch of the Big House as Damien White came running flanked by Oliver. They greeted Dionysius before turning their attention to Chiron.

'Chiron,' said Oliver. 'Damien and I have received news from our mothers. There is something going on.'

'Speak my boys,' replied the old centaur.

'Tartarus had opened its doors again,' muttered Damien. 'People got out and Nemesis warned me about a fatal disbalance in the odds. When I woke up, the wheel halves were shattered into smaller pieces.'

' _Di Immortales_ ,' cursed Annabeth Chase as Rachel Dare went pale.

'Tyche told me that there is someone or something messing up the balance of luck. She told me in the dream that it's somewhere west. She was really upset about it,' said Oliver fiddling around with a drachma.

'Any idea who got out of Tartarus?' asked Annabeth.

'Monsters and people like Emperor Augustus,' said Damien. 'Hecate managed to slow them down by moving the Doors of Death around faster.'

'Hecate is in Tartarus?' asked Annabeth. 'She hasn't shown herself to us or her children for months.'

Damien shrugged. 'That's what mom told me. I don't know if she's in Tartarus or not, but she's still helping us out.'

Chiron let out a sigh of relief. 'Tell John and Ronan of your dream, it might convince them to help us again.'

'They don't have a choice,' said Annabeth. 'We need every ounce of power we can gather to get ourselves ready for another war.'

* * *

'Do you want to know the sex of the baby?' asked the young daughter of Eileithyia at the hospital.

'No,' replied the both of them.

'Alright, well everything is still good. You're right on schedule being eight months pregnant.' Paula wiped off the excess gel and discarded her gloves. 'From now on, I advise you to keep the heavy duty work for other people. That means that you're not going to do any stressful magic, no fighting, no nothing. You get to sit in a comfortable chair and people will have to do stuff for you. Understood?'

'Yes ma'am,' said Lou squeezing Charlotte's hand.

The doctor left them alone in the room. Charlotte helped Lou get dressed.

'How are you feeling?' asked Charlotte.

'Tired, but excited,' muttered Lou as she got off the table.

'Not disappointed? I know you want to help out with the war effort.'

'I will have to find another way. You heard her, no heavy lifting and such. Besides she'll brief Harley and she would whoop my ass.'

Charlotte snorted laughing. 'Yes, she would. Now, what are we to do?'

'Get me to my room, I want to take a very long bath with you.'

'Doctor said you couldn't do anything stressful.'

'You're everything but stressful,' said Lou before kissing Charlotte.

* * *

'Are you absolutely certain?' asked Reyna standing behind her desk. The sound of legionnaires training entered through the open window.

'Ella is very certain about the words,' spoke the harpy as she ruffled her feathers. 'She remembers the lines after that one.' She pointed at the scrap of paper in Reyna's desk.

'We have to get this to Camp Half-Blood,' said Frank. 'Annabeth could help us with it.'

Reyna sighed as she slumped back into her seat. 'I don't know if I am still all that welcome at Half-Blood, Frank. Some of them still see me as the one who had him exiled. John will have my head on a pike.'

'They won't let him,' said Frank reassuringly. 'Charlotte has been able to convince Lou to ease up. He'll listen to her, you know how close they are.'

'Fine, get one of the Pegasi saddled. I'll take Ella with me and I hope the gods will have mercy on us.'

* * *

She donned her helmet as she walked towards the stables. In her bag Reyna had stashed the lines of the Books. As she looked at the legion getting ready, she stopped to see the Third Cohort training in gladiatorial combat.

Two legionnaires stood in a circle of scuta wielding their weapons of choice as the rest of the troupe watched them. One of the legionnaires was still a probie as identified by the tablet around the neck. The helmet she wore did give away her identity as Camp Jupiter's latest addition.

The helmet had been her choice, although it wasn't easy to wield it. The shiny metal helmet came with additions that shaped it like a wolf head and a facemask that didn't leave much space for the eyes, but made up for it by being intimidating. It was also a bonus that the girl was gifted with Mercury speed and trained in the use of a dagger and bow and arrow.

She quickly disarmed her opponent and held his own sword against his throat as he surrendered and the next opponent entered the ring.

Reyna smiled as the fast legionnaire grabbed her sword to wield two weapons in battle. The praetor checked the bag a final time before continuing her way to the stables.

All along the campsite she found legionnaires and veterans being busy training or preparing for the upcoming war in a different way by either maintaining their weapons or building new ones such as scorpios and ballistae.

Reyna found Franks Zhang and Hazel at the stables helping Ella on the pegasus they would be taking to Camp Half-Blood.

'Centurion Levesque,' saluted Reyna with a smile. 'How is the Fifth doing?'

'Training hard,' replied Hazel with a smile of her own. 'Too bad Sarah joined the Third. We could use her.'

'Her choice to make. And her letters were too good to stick her in the Fifth,' said Reyna with a wink as she joined Ella on the winged horse.

'Very funny,' said Hazel as she let go of Ella's hand.

Reyna felt the harpy's arms tighten around her abdomen and slightly gasped for air. 'We'll be there soon, Ella.'

'Ella is not happy,' whispered the harpy burying her face into Reyna's shoulder.

Reyna pulled on the reigns and they started flying towards New York. Thunder and lightning roared over the sea.

* * *

It wasn't until dinner time at Camp Half-Blood that a pegasus descended from the sky. The animal landed roughly before the dining hall, neighing harshly as the riders climbed off.

'Frank told us you'd be coming with dire news,' said Annabeth as she approached them.

Butch took the pegasus with him and guided to the stables.

Reyna let go of Ella the harpy and removed her helmet. A lone fall breeze made her purple cape flutter. She greeted the Greeks that came to her. Ella quickly moved to Tyson when he appeared too.

'Reyna,' spoke Chiron. 'What is so important that you came to us in person?'

'Not here,' replied the praetor nodded towards the Big House. 'We need some privacy.' She lifted up her bag. 'I need you three to join us.' She gestured at Annabeth, Percy and Jason.

Annabeth shot Percy a glance as she nodded. The three of them followed Chiron and Reyna to the Big House. They found Dionysius and Rachel awaiting them on the porch.

'We have received word about trouble,' said Rachel. 'We need to act fast.'

Chiron sighed. 'Let's all get in and prepare for a long evening.'

* * *

The daughter of Bellona took a sip of the hot chocolate Chiron had made and cleared her throat.

'I made a terrible mistake,' she said staring at Annabeth.

'How so?' retorted Jason.

'Sam,' replied Annabeth. 'Getting him to be exiled was partly her fault, although the Fates might argue about it. Remember when she tried to gut him?'

Reyna nodded. 'Ella gave me the full prophecy that contained the line I had foolishly taken for granted. It connects to the prophecy of Nyx.'

'And to the news we have received from the gods,' said Rachel. 'Apollo has "misplaced" his bow and it might be a problem or so he told me in a dream.'

'Especially since Eos had her key stolen by someone,' grumbled Mr. D.

'Eos lost her key?' said Chiron shocked. 'Then we might truly be in trouble.'

'Hang on,' said Annabeth. 'Reyna, you go first.'

'I received the prophecy from Ella early this morning. She babbled about dawn and the sun, but managed to tell Frank exactly what she remembered. It goes as follows:

 _Son of magic and doors/Shall break Olympus against all odds_

 _Silver maidens come to aid/Seen by mothers divine_

 _Disrupted scales in a land without snow/A dove's second task is to retrieve fiery key and holy bow/_

 _Three of Seven venture into lovers past._

 _A cub's victory will quell the raging mage/Tiber's land be the final stage_

 _Four riders will appear with Hades at their tail/Under a round moon ever so pale_

 _At the end of night/The firstborn shall live_

 _Bear the weight of powers old/To lift the children's curse_

Reyna handed out the copies she made.

'Okay,' said Annabeth. 'This indeed connects to the prophecy given by the Fates. The land without snow is Nevada if we take the "city of chance" line into consideration. So Vegas is our next stop. The disrupted scales is the reason that Tyche and Nemesis are worried.'

'The night in both has to be Nyx,' replied Jason. 'The silver maidens are Hunters.'

'That raging mage line has me worried,' said Reyna with a nervous chuckle. 'I am so dead.'

Jason shot her a grin. 'At least we'll be fighting on home turf. Tiber's land has to be New Rome.'

'Alright,' said Dionysius slurping some Diet Coke. 'That's solved, how do we get Apollo's bow back? And Eos' key?'

'To find what is lost,' said Rachel. 'We'll probably find what is lost in Las Vegas.'

Annabeth stared at the copy intently and let out a groan. 'Not only in Vegas, but at the Lotus Casino.'

'How'd you know?' asked Jason.

'Because Percy, Grover and me stayed there during our very first quest. It's not the nicest place to be. The place is designed to keep you trapped.'

'Under a full moon,' said Chiron. 'Means that we have less than four weeks to get ready for the big fight. The full moon just passed, although it could be under any full moon.'

'It'll be at the next full moon,' grunted Mr. D. 'The bow and key are essential to have the sun up every day. What works better for Nyx than eternal darkness?.'

'Okay, let me get this straight,' exasperated Percy. 'Piper, Annabeth and I need to go to The Lotus Casino in Las Vegas to retrieve Apollo's bow and a special key. Preferably before next week if we want to have some time to prepare for Nyx' battle at New Rome? To be beaten by her anyway?'

They all stared at Percy as if he'd given them the formula for eternal youth. 'What? The dove is Piper and Sam called her the First of the Protegonoi.'

'Protogenoi,' corrected Annabeth with a smile. 'You have a point.'

Percy groaned. 'I don't like it.'

'We must tell Piper of the quest immediately. How fast can you get to Las Vegas?'

'I must go back to Jupiter anyway to prepare for the battle, I can take someone on my pegasus,' said Reyna. 'We can take a second one for the other two.'

'Annabeth, go get Piper and tell her to meet us at the stables. I'll get Blackjack prepared,' said Percy.

'Give us a couple of hours, Percy,' said Annabeth. 'We could use a decent meal before leaving. And Reyna, why don't you go knock on Cabin 20's door? Charlotte's still there and Lou is expecting you.'

Reyna glanced at her paper before folding it and stuffing it in her jeans pocket. 'Raging mage, here I come.'


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21 Lotus**

She let herself fall back into the comfy couch at their cabin while Charlotte went to run another bath. With her hands she found the baby's feet that had kicked minutes earlier as she stared at the cabin walls. Nothing had changed during her absence as the head counsellor of this cabin.

Except that Sam was being a great camper according to the blackboard. Lou smiled at his grades for mythology class, which had risen throughout the years. Tears stung at the corner of her eyes. The boy had been through so much and now he was gods now where, unaware of his heritage.

A knock on the door got her out of her daydream. Lou heard Charlotte upstairs making her way towards the door.

'I've got it,' she yelled.

'You're not supposed to move around,' screamed Charlotte back. 'They can wait a bloody minute.'

'Too late.'

'Oh, you rotten Houdini,' muttered Charlotte as she appeared at the railing on the upper floor. She bolted downstairs.

The door had flung open and in the doorframe appeared a familiar Roman face.

'Can I come in?' she asked. 'I need to tell you something.'

'Of course, praetor,' said Charlotte with a nod.

'She wasn't asking you,' replied Lou. 'And don't call me a Houdini. Come in, Ramirez. Have a seat.'

Reyna stepped in as the door closed by itself. She removed her cape and upper armour before taking a seat. 'So, this place hasn't changed.'

'What is it you wanted to tell me?' asked Lou. Charlotte took a seat next to Lou and squeezed her hand.

'I came to Half-Blood with a new prophecy and it turns out I was mistaken about Sam's role in it all.' Reyna wiped her sweaty palms on her trousers. _Mom, if you can hear me, don't let her get mad_ , she thought watching Lou's stoic expression.

'Hmm,' said Lou waving her hand for her to continue.

'Turns out the exile thing may have been a bit harsh,' she sighed. 'Gods, Lou. I am sorry for what I started. I am sorry I got Sam exiled, I am sorry for getting John mad at me, I am sorry for the boys lashing out, I am sorry for sending Charlotte over to win you back.'

'Ah, so it was a setup,' said Lou staring at Charlotte and Reyna with a smile on her lips.

'Of course,' huffed Reyna. 'She's the only one who can get you motivated in dire situations. I might not be a daughter of Minerva, but I am not a fool.'

'I never said that,' replied the daughter of Hecate. 'I knew you'd send her. It's nice seeing my fiancée once in a while. Maybe she could use some time off from being a senator?' She raised an eyebrow at Reyna.

'No,' said Charlotte. 'We agreed on doing our own work during the pregnancy. I like being a Senator, so stop pestering Reyna with it.'

Reyna stared at the two women as they bickered for another minute as she tried not to smile nervously.

'You wanted to say something,' said Lou finally as Charlotte had ended the discussion with a threat of draining the bath.

Reyna breathed in an out to steady her voice. 'I, Reyna Avilla Ramirez-Arellano, praetor of the Twelfth Legion, daughter of Bellona hereby apologize to you, Lou Ellen Blackstone, daughter of Hecate, for the role I played in getting your brother exiled and ask for your forgiveness.'

Lou Ellen smiled. 'I accept your apology and accept to forgive you.'

Reyna breathed in. 'You do?'

'You only showed him a path, he chose to act on it. He's my brother, but he carved out his own path. He was stubborn and stupid.'

'It runs in the family,' said Charlotte. 'Gods, I hope our child doesn't inherit that.'

'Hey,' said Lou with a hurt look.

Reyna clasped her own hand over her mouth and cried silently.

'Charlotte, I think I broke Reyna,' whispered Lou. 'She's crying.'

'I am not broken,' snapped Reyna wiping her eyes. 'I am moved. I have feelings too you know.'

'Ah man, I missed Reyna crying,' said John as he entered the cabin with a drawn blade. 'She apologized?'

Reyna tensed back up, one hand on her sword.

'With titles and all,' replied Lou.

John muttered a curse as he deposited his sword on the table and walked into the kitchen.

'Bring back some grapes,' yelled Lou. 'Charlotte will feed me. And make some tea.'

'I'll make the tea, you Americans can't make proper tea if your lives depended on it.' Charlotte shot Reyna a grin.

Reyna let out a small laugh before crying again. 'Gods, I sent a boy out into the wild.' She jumped up and paced around the cabin. 'Granted I wanted to protect my campers from another war, but who am I to decide someone's fate?'

'Reyna, it's okay,' said Suzan as she appeared from the doorway.

Reyna gave her a look. 'No, it is not, I have to constantly think about the lives of hundreds of people when I decide things for Jupiter. And that's hard you know? And now that stupid new prophecy made it all meaningless because we'll battle at New Rome anyway.'

'What!' Charlotte deposited the tray with mugs on the smaller table and handed one to the praetor.

'Ella gave us more lines from the Books. Nyx will bring the fight to us, but I have doomed our only hope. She's going to kill me when I tell her.'

'Tell who?' asked Lou flicking her hand. Reyna appeared next to her, so Lou gave her a shoulder to cry on.

'Sarah Parker, she appeared at Jupiter about three weeks ago. She's really good with a dagger and bow and arrow.'

Lou let out a laugh and pulled the praetor closer. 'You should've opened with that.'

'This is one of the weirdest scenes I have ever seen,' muttered Mia Black as she closed the door after letting the other Hecate children enter.

'She just needs some tea and she'll be off again,' said Lou. 'And we don't have to kill her, Sarah will do it for us.'

'Sarah?' asked Jade. 'You've seen her?'

'She's at Camp Jupiter,' said Reyna drinking from her tea. 'Training.'

'Can you do the whole apology thing again?' asked John with a grin. 'Lou's broadcast wasn't all that clear.'

Reyna gave him a deathly glare with a small smile. 'Don't push it.'

'Aw man, I really liked the emotional Reyna,' muttered Ronan before taking a sip.

* * *

Reyna guided them towards an abandoned industrial lot. Blackjack and Thunder landed gracefully and the three dismounted. Reyna handed them the amulets made by the Hecate cabin.

'They should ward off the brain washing magic of the hotel for exactly twenty four hours. Slip them on, the moment you get in the hotel.'

'Will do,' said Annabeth.

'So, we go in, get the bow and key, get out and return to Jupiter?' asked Percy.

'That's the deal. You do know where it is, right?' asked Reyna with a grin.

Percy reacted by showing her the tattoo.

Reyna saluted them before taking the pegasi with her.

'To the Strip,' said Annabeth with a grim look.

'So, what happened here?' asked Piper as she checked her daggers and medical supplies.

'We arrived in Vegas thanks to a ride with an animal transport. We got suckered into entering the Lotus Casino because we were tired,' said Percy. 'We were happily playing the many videogames they had until we snapped out of it. We lost days on the quest to retrieve the Master Bolt.'

They walked on the Strip until Annabeth froze.

'Monsters,' she whispered pointing at the three hellhounds roaming the streets. 'And an old friend.' She pointed her dagger at a man Percy remembered well.

'Dr Thorn,' he spat. 'Wasn't exactly happy with being ignored by the old heroes.'

The man stood beneath a neon lotus flower.

'Venture into lover's past,' said Piper with a sigh. 'You guys have had any other monsters trying to kill the both of you?'

'Not really, Arachne and multiple gods, including the first.'

'We need to get inside, fast,' muttered Annabeth putting on her cap.

'Let me handle it,' said Piper walking past them.

* * *

Piper walked up to the Lotus sign and drew a dagger which she hid behind her back. 'Excuse me,' she said lacing her words with the warmth of Charmspeak. 'Are you Dr. Thorn?'

The grey haired middle aged man stared down to her. She could see his different coloured eyes. 'Who wants the know?' he growled.

'A fan,' admitted Piper. 'I have heard of your battle with Percy Jackson. They say he fought unfairly.'

'Of course he fought unfairly,' sneered Thorn. 'He used his godly powers to summon the Hunters who drove me off.'

'I spotted him around that way.' Piper pointed in the direction opposite of where they had been standing. 'I think he's on a quest for the gods. A very important one. Maybe you should check it out before the hellhounds get him.' She pushed out the last sentence with a blast of Charmspeak. Piper pointed at the dogs who sat on the opposite side of the road. 'Think of the glory you'd get if you captured the sea spawn.'

'Nyx would be proud of me.'

'Why is that?'

'Because she only wants to destroy the camps to make Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase suffer. She knows how to hold a grudge.'

'I think the hounds have spotted something.' A fire hydrant blew up.

'He's here,' said Thorn triumphantly before running towards the hounds and the fire hydrant.

Piper motioned for Annabeth and Percy to join her.

'I am already here,' said Annabeth next to her. 'Thought you could use backup just in case.'

'Thanks,' said Piper.

Once Percy joined them they walked into the casino.

They slipped on the amulets as the doorman approached them. 'Is it your first visit here?'

'Yes,' replied Piper quickly, silencing the other two. 'What's this casino like?'

The man handed them green plastic cards. 'Nothing you've seen before. You don't have to worry about anything. It's all on the house.'

'Really?' asked Piper warily.

'Yes, now have fun. You're staying in room 8748.'

The doorman opened the door and they walked in.

* * *

The place was packed with videogames, pools, food stands and much more. They spotted waitresses walking among children chatting and playing the games.

'Come on, let's go to our room and figure out what to do,' said Annabeth. 'We have twenty-four hours before these wear out.'

As they made their way to the elevator, Percy spotted children making a scene before a security guard. It seemed as if they were not allowed in a certain part of the casino.

'That's where we need to begin,' he announced as the elevator arrived.

At their room, they found three separate beds and a big screen TV. They dropped their bags and Annabeth pulled out her notepad. 'So we check out that off limits room,' she said.

'I'll talk to the big man, and you two slip in,' said Piper.

'What if it doesn't work?' asked Percy.

'We go in by force,' said Annabeth drawing a dagger.

With the battle plan fresh in their heads, they went back down. Percy and Annabeth got something to eat, while Piper approached the big guy at the door.

'Hey handsome,' she spoke putting in Charmspeak. 'Mind if I take a peak in the room? I'm tired of these kiddy games.'

'You may not enter without the sign,' spoke the man in the suit.

'The sign?' asked Piper.

The second big guy appeared from the doorway and joined his co-worker. 'This sign,' he grumbled. He showed her a plastic drachma. 'The token from the boss.'

'And how can I get one of those? Or can you lend a girl a hand?' She winked at Righty.

'Leave,' growled the man on the left. 'You are not entering this place without the token, daughter of Aphrodite.'

Piper took a step back. 'I demand to receive access to that room,' she shouted upping the Charmspeak.

'No token, no access,' said Lefty with a monotonous voice.

Piper stared at the two before stalking towards the table where Annabeth and Percy were sitting. The daughter of Athena offered her a tofu burger.

'Those guys are definitively not mortal,' she said chewing. 'Monsters or automatons, but impervious to Charmspeak.'

'And I don't think we can beat them in combat,' said Annabeth nodding in their direction.

Piper and Percy turned around and saw a group of five children being restrained and rebuffed with ease by the two large men.

'Don't go in there,' said a voice next to them. 'You'll lose every ounce of luck you have.'

They turned to the table. A boy in his early teens had sunken eyes. He played around with a plastic black disk, engraved with a golden picture of an ace on one side and an owl on the other one.

'That guy is the master of the cards. He'll pick you clean of everything you own. And don't get distracted by his friend. She'll throw out any cheater. I got out with most of my stuff, but I had to forfeit my high score on _Asteroids_ to pay my debt. Those other guys were so unlucky. They lost their weapons and got turned into gold dust.'

'What did they lose?' asked Percy.

'Swords, gold and silver coins, helmets. There were two guys who pleaded and begged to get their bow and key back, but they got kicked out. Oh crap, that's her.'

They turned to the entrance where Righty was talking to a girl of about sixteen, with silver hair and wearing a black suit with a silver tie. She glanced into their direction. She approached them.

'Thank the gods you're finally here. You've made a lot of noise, Piper,' she said with a devilish grin. She deposited three disks on the table. 'And you've brought Percy and Annabeth. Stay here for another hour and then come to room 4002.'

'How do you know us?' asked Annabeth.

'Every demigod knows about Percabeth and The Seven, even a lowlife Hunter like myself,' said Hunter with a laugh before leaving them at the table.


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22 Seven to the rescue**

After an hour, the three of them went to the designated room. They had spotted Hunter coming back out, shielding a second person from prying eyes with her jacket. The girl had winked at them and moments later they had taken the elevator to the right floor.

Now they stood before the door, weapons drawn. Percy used Riptide's hilt to knock on the door, while Annabeth and Piper hid their daggers. The door opened and they saw the same girl as before standing there, but she was dressed in combat boots, a black T-shirt and cameo trousers. She shot them a smile.

'Come on in.' She opened the door completely and motioned for them to get in.

The room was basically a small apartment with a living room, two rooms and a large bathroom. The place was littered with small piles of mortal cash, drachma's, denarii, and poker chips.

'Hunter, who is it?' yelled a voice from the other room. The TV was playing in the background.

'A couple of friends,' replied Hunter.

'Wait, are you Hunter Kowalski?' whispered Annabeth. 'The Hunter of Artemis?'

'The one and only,' replied Hunter with a grin.

They arrived in the room, to find the person sitting in a bed, watching TV. Bags of junk food and a few pieces of fresh fruit laid around him.

'For Hades' sake, I told you to keep food off the bed,' groaned Hunter. 'And turn off the TV, we have company.'

'Relax, Hunter. There won't be any ants in here. And give me two more minutes, it's nearly finished.'

Annabeth gasped as she saw a familiar metal leg standing beside the bed. She turned her attention to the boy sitting in the bed. Despite the longer hair, baggy sweatshirt and muscled limbs, she recognized the missing son of Hecate. He seemed to ignore them purposely to watch the show.

The screen show an animated TV-show which Annabeth failed to remember clearly.

'Avatar?' interrupted Percy. 'Wow, that's old.'

'I know,' replied Sam fishing out a Cheeto from the bag without looking at them. 'They've done a full series marathon. Still good though.'

The series ended with a credits roll and Sam switched off the TV. He cast the bag aside and turned to face them. His eyes went wide.

'Holy Hunters,' he gasped – which earned him a glare from Hunter – 'You're Percy Jackson.'

'You know him?' asked the three others in unison and awe.

Sam shook his head. 'I've met your mom in Montauk. I was there on my trip and we met because of Esther, no Estelle,' he corrected. 'She threw her Frisbee at me and asked about that.' He pointed at the prosthetic leg. 'Your mom invited me over for dinner and I saw a picture of you there. And you're Anna… Anna...'

'Annabeth,' finished the daughter of Athena.

'Yeah, you were in a picture too. You were at the beach with Sally. She seemed happy to talk about you two. You little sister is funny too.'

'You've met my mom?' asked Percy in disbelief.

Sam nodded. 'Gave me food and a blue cookie and a ride towards the trail. A day later I met Hunter and we've been travelling together ever since. Your eyes are familiar.' He stared at Annabeth.

'Could be,' muttered Annabeth remembering the dream Athena had sent her.

'So what are you doing here?' asked Hunter as she ordered Sam to get packing.

'We're here to pick up a package for a friend,' said Percy. 'It's two things actually. Precious stuff and we're getting a reward if we bring it as soon as possible.'

'What are you looking for besides Apollo's Bow?' Hunter picked up a black cloth covering up something. She showed them a piece of the weapon. A mix of silver and gold was bent into shape.

'Eos' key?'

'A key to the Titaness of Dawn?' asked Sam scraping together the coins and poker chips. He froze when hearing the name.

'Not that,' replied Hunter. 'Probably a prop from a scavenger hunt based on Greek myths, right?'

'Yeah,' replied Piper.

'Oh, maybe it's this thing.' Sam threw her a small pouch. 'Keep the coins.'

Piper snatched the pouch from the air and opened it. The pouch was rather heavy. She opened it and found it filled with coins and a key shaped like a licking flame. She pulled it out. It felt warm in her hand.

'A fiery key,' she whispered.

'Won it off an unpleasant jerk named Dr Thorn,' said Sam. 'He went kicking and screaming about it. The bow was a gift from a regal looking fellow. Augustus?'

'Yeah, that was him,' replied Hunter. 'All the other things are Sam's spoils of the game. Fraudulent obtained items.'

'That is not true,' retorted Sam. 'I used my mind to win at blackjack and poker. I can't help if they decide to put everything on the line. They even offered me those shiny baseball bats, bows and knives instead of money or poker chips.'

'Counting cards isn't illegal,' said Annabeth. 'But not really liked by casino's.'

'It wasn't exactly counting cards,' said Sam. 'It's as if the cards called out to me.'

'Yeah, we'll discuss about that later,' said Hunter. 'Get your leg on and pack whatever we can get. We're going to join them on their scavenger hunt.'

'Do we have to?' asked Sam as Percy helped him stuff as many weapons as they could between the straps of his back pack.

The question remained unanswered as the front door was blown off its hinges.

'Sam, get your leg on, now,' said Hunter as she picked up a bow and knocked two arrows.

'Perseus Jackson and Annabeth Chase,' snarled Dr Thorn raising his arms.

'You again,' said Sam reappearing in the room carrying a baseball bat. 'You lost fair and square.'

'Shut your mouth, you filthy Titan spawn,' spoke Augustus, the Roman emperor wielding a fishing pole. 'You will return the bow to me.'

Before Sam could utter a reply, Percy let out a guttural scream and water brushed past his hands and a torrent of it crashed into Dr Thorn. Hunter let the arrows fly and they embedded themselves into the shoulder of Augustus and the arm of a tall man standing in the hallway.

'We got to go,' said Piper. 'We need to get to our room. Four floors up.'

'Why?' asked Hunter releasing another volley of arrows.

'Because we have a way out and directly to camp,' said Annabeth. 'Trust us, Hunter, we've done quests before.' She threw a knife at Dr Thorn who was getting back up. The blade was intercepted by his tail.

'Retreat to the bathroom, I'll get us out,' said Percy

'Wait, how did you do that with the water?' asked Sam as Piper dragged him to the bathroom. The sound of something crashing and metal on metal was heard.

'Later,' barked Hunter as she fired another volley at the many men entering the room. Some vanished into a cloud of gold smoke.

'Sam,' spoke Piper to him.

He felt his muscles relax. He stared into her eyes. They changed colours.

'You have to listen to what we are saying. If one of us gives you an order, you have to obey it. Understood?'

'Yes,' he said, not quite sure why he'd say that.

Suddenly the wall burst with water dripping from every direction.

'Go!' yelled Percy.

Sam watched Hunter go through the hole. She shot arrows at the men standing in the hallway. 'Coast is clear to the right,' she said. Piper pushed him through, ordered him to start walking to the right which he did. Annabeth followed with Percy closing the ranks.

They ran towards the elevators, occasionally throwing daggers and firing arrows at their attackers.

'This is one scary scavenger hunt,' Sam muttered before stopping.

'They blocked the elevators. The stairwell,' said Piper. 'Sam, pick up that baseball bat.'

Sam did as told and followed her into the stairwell. Percy used a dagger to block the door as they ran up the stairs. Moments later the door was blown open with the sound of screeching metal.

'You can't outrun us,' screamed Dr Thorn.

Sam glanced down and saw the man contorting his body and becoming bigger. 'How?'

'No time,' said Piper. 'Throw the bat down at them.'

Sam took aim and lobbed the bat against a small woman with a limp. She vanished into a puff of gold dust.

Percy dove to the nearest enemy and bashed his bat into the head of the man, while Hunter fired her last arrows at the others trying to get to them. One of the chasers was a big dog. He whined when a shiny arrow dug into his paw.

'We're here,' yelled Annabeth throwing open the door to floor eight. Piper threw dagger after dagger down the staircase occasionally hurting someone. Before they all could go through the door, Hunter fired her very last arrow at Dr Thorn. The arrowhead buried itself in his eye sending him tumbling down the stairs, taking a couple of gangly types with him. He howled in pain, cursing Hunter.

They dashed through the door and Hunter used het bow to block the door as they made their way to the room.

Piper opened up the door and closed it once everyone was in. Percy pushed furniture against the door.

'Who are they?' demanded Sam. 'Who are you?'

'We need to get to camp,' said Piper. 'Once we get there, we can get started on our battle strategy.'

'I am not moving until someone explains things to me,' grumbled Sam.

Suddenly he was pulled into a chokehold, while a hand pressed a wet cloth on his face. The smell of it was sharp but fleeting. A moment later, his knees buckled and he felt himself slip away. Before Sam lost consciousness, he saw Hunter coming closer holding a piece of cloth.

Once the son of Hecate was out cold, the others stared at Hunter.

'What was that?' asked Piper.

'Knock out potion,' replied Hunter. 'I've used it before to keep him still when monsters appeared or when he needed some medical attention. It'll make it easier to get him to camp. Jupiter of Half-Blood?'

'Half-Blood,' said Annabeth.

The sound of angry monsters reached them.

'Let's move,' said Percy blowing on a whistle.

The window overlooking the Strip shattered as a large hellhound appeared in the room. Hunter drew a silver hunting knife, but Annabeth motioned to put it away.

Percy walked up to the hellhound wearing a collar and scratched her ear playfully. 'Good girl,' he whispered. 'Care to take us to Camp Half-Blood?'

The hound barked as she lowered herself to the floor. The demigods quickly mounted the beast before the door was blown open by a fireball. The hellhound barked again to fold the shadows in the room into one and jumped towards it. However before completely being absorbed by the darkness, a Roman spear pierced her paw.

The hound and it's riders fell into the shadows.

* * *

They reappeared in an ally in the middle of New York. The hound buckled under the weight and crashed onto the floor. The demigods dismounted the beast, with Hunter carrying the lifeless Sam over her shoulder and giving Sam's pack to Annabeth. Percy comforted the beast while it whined and licked it's paw.

'Why don't you guys get to Camp?' Percy said. 'I'll stick around to see if she's going to heal up or not.'

'Riptide?' asked Annabeth.

'In my pocket,' replied Percy.

'Shield?'

Percy tapped his watch with a grumble. It had been a bet between him and Thalia after he'd called her shield watch stupid. If he lost, he'd have to get one too.

'Okay then,' started Piper how are we going to camp?'

'By taxi,' said Annabeth with a grin.

'Yellow or grey?' asked Hunter.

'Grey,' was Annabeth's reply.

After trying to summon the Grey Sisters' taxi for fifteen minutes it finally appeared.

'We're driving in that?' asked Piper.

'Fastest way to camp in the state of New York,' said Hunter as she threw Sam into the taxi. Once inside, she watched the Sisters whisper among themselves.

'Service is lousy these days,' said Annabeth as she closed the door. 'Fifteen minutes we've waited.'

'We don't take him,' said Tempest with a hiss pointing at an unconscious Sam. The eye stared at him. 'Bad blood.'

'I'll give you all of these coins if you take all of us to Camp Half-Blood in a quick but orderly fashion,' said Piper jiggling the pouch Sam had thrown her. The key was on her camp necklace. 'It's a lot of gold.' Annabeth handed the pouch to Wasp who opened it and bit down with the single tooth.

'It's a solid bag of gold,' said Wasp. 'Let's go.'

The sisters cackled as Tempest floored it.

* * *

They arrived at Thalia's pine tree where the Golden Fleece shimmered in the light of their flashlight.

'Who goes there?' asked a voice from the shadows. Armed Romans and Greeks appeared weapons drawn.

'Relax, Thalia,' said Annabeth. 'It's us.'

Thalia Grace stepped closer and revealed her sparky blue eyes.

'Took you long enough, Kowalski,' she said with a grin.

'Blame this one, lieutenant.' Hunter lifted Sam from her shoulders to a bridal style.

'Holy Artemis, he's back,' gasped Thalia. 'I know some people who will be ecstatic.'

'Not quite,' said Piper. 'He's still blinded by the Mist, but his magic is seeping through.'

'To the Big House,' said Thalia. 'Chiron needs to see you.'

Moments later they found themselves drinking hot chocolate while Sam was fast asleep next to Seymour, the leopard head.

'So why are these important again?' asked Hunter as she pointed at the key and bow that laid on the table before them.

'These two items are essential for Apollo to get the sun up every day,' said Chiron. 'He uses the bow to keep the course and to fend off anyone trying to stop him. Eos' key opens up the gate of heaven, so that Apollo can get through and raise the Sun.'

'She also has a "moon key" to close the gate at the end of the day and to let in the night,' grumbled Dionysius. 'Without the "sun key", she could only raise the moon and night.'

'That is correct,' replied a voice as she appeared in the doorway.

The woman wore a violet cloak which fluttered against her brightly coloured wings. Her face was rosy of colour with a star on her forehead. In her hand, she carried a staff with an unlit torch on top.

'Lady Eos,' bowed Chiron.

'So these five are responsible for bringing back my key?' The Titaness eyed the yawning demigods.

'They are,' grumbled Dionysius. 'Although it seems he won it back from the monsters.' He jerked a thumb at Sam.

'Ah yes, my cousin's daughter's son,' replied the woman with a smile.

The demigods stared at each other with puzzled looks.

'Not important,' waved the Titaness. 'For bringing back my key I will gladly help you stop the First Mother's plan. Hemera would also like to help if asked. You know how they can't stand each other.'

'Of course,' said Chiron.

'Well, I have to go. I'll give Apollo his bow as well. Have a nice day.'

In a blinding flash, the Titaness had vanished with both objects. From the outside, the first rays of sunlight appeared in the sky.

'Let us get some sleep before waking up Sam,' said Chiron with a yawn.


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23 The Return**

Snow was all around him, with more falling from the dark sky. In front of him stood a red door with a brass knocker in the shape of an eagle. The cold made him shiver as white breath dissipated in the air as he exhaled. He rubbed his arms to notice that he was wearing nothing but a pair of cargo shorts and an orange T-shirt. He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to face the person.

It was a woman with gold blonde hair that was braided. The woman stared at him with green eyes and gave him a smile. She wore a light coloured robe adorned with black symbols. In her other hand she carried a lit torch.

They walked towards the door, she opened it after knocking three times. It revealed a black emptiness. She threw in the torch and gave him a shove. He stumbled into the darkness with the torch lying a couple of feet in front of him.

He turned around and found himself alone again. As he walked towards the torch, he heard nothing but his own footsteps. Picking up the torch he saw ten toes slowly getting back some colour and feeling. As he rose the blackness shifted. He stood in a marble temple. Three old women sat on simple chairs, but radiated power as if they were thrones.

'Come foward,' spoke the middle one.

He walked towards them tightening his grip on the torch. He watched them spin, measure and snip strings of yarn. The process was strangely soothing. The sounds of the labour hypnotized him slightly. Suddenly they stopped and stared at him. The third one snipped and pain erupted from the back of his eyes.

A scream reached his ears and after a moment he realized he was the one screaming. He fell down as tears pricked in his eyes. Wetness touched his right leg. Biting through the pain he looked down and saw his left one not being there, instead there was a pool of blood spreading out.

'What did you do?' he sobbed.

'This was to be,' they said in unison.

With all of his strength he tried throwing the torch at them. It flew through the air and landed on a burning roof. He found himself overlooking a valley. A city was burning and unconscious people were strewn around him.

A dark figure stood beside him. She had wings protruding from the back, with eyes like the galaxy staring at him.

'I win,' she said before thrusting her hand through his chest. Coldness spread through his body.

With a jolt he opened his eyes and tried catching his breath. The sunlight blinded him as he tried to remember where he was. The earthy colours on the walls and ceiling were familiar.

'You're awake,' said a voice from the other end of the room.

He looked at the person and found a girl his age lying in the bed opposite his. She had a brace on one leg. Her brown eyes were the same colour as her curls.

'Are we at Elysium?' Sam asked while his head was getting heavier.

'No, at camp,' replied the girl before he drifted off again.

* * *

Heat rose from the ground on which Pandora walked. The simple drown dress was sticky with her sweat. The claws poked in her back as Kampê pushed her towards the crowd. The scent of the old monster was sickening and she had to hold her breath to keep herself from gagging.

'Ah, there you are, Pandora,' said Nyx.

The Firstborn was dressed in a dark coloured robe that seemed to reflect Tartarus. Her wings were folded on her back. Eyes stood sharp within an ash coloured face. The goddess stood before a group of monsters. Empousai, northern cyclops, Scythian dracnae and others were waiting for their next order. One monster was kneeling, his wrists bound with Stygian chains.

'Mistress,' the man croaked. His body shifted for an instant.

Pandora saw a scorpion tail slowly growing out of his backside.

'Thorn,' replied Nyx. She forced him to watch her by pushing up his chin. 'You have failed me. The key was your responsibility. You lost it to the boy and failed to retrieve it or incapacitate Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase.'

'I know mistress,' pleaded Thorn. 'It won't happen again.' He pulled the chains.

'Of course,' replied Nyx. 'Hold him.'

A cyclops approached and clasped his hands around the head of dr. Thorn. The man pleaded, but his wails were not heard.

Nyx waved her hand and a fine knife appeared in het hand. The blade was made of black obsidian, but the handle was ornately crafted Celestial bronze.

The goddess crouched next to Thorn and pulled his eyelids open. In near silence, the goddess poked through the man's skin. The scream was agonizing. Thorn thrashed within his bounds, but his head remained perfectly still. Slowly Nyx made her was around the eye and forced her slender fingers into his eyes socket. With a simple tug, Thorn fell silent and Nyx held his eye in her hand.

'Let this be a lesson to you all,' said Nyx wiping the blade clean on Thorn's forehead. 'You cannot fail. Disperse and find me more allies. We go to war soon.'

The monsters vanished within minutes.

Nyx turned around and stared at Pandora. 'Kampê, you may go. Are we ready for our assault on the camps?'

'Yes, my liege,' hissed the monster.

'Good.' With a wave Kampê disappeared in a ripple. 'Now, my girl, I have a proposition for you.' Nyx wrapped the eye in a black cloth.

'I am listening,' spoke Pandora staring at Nyx with a single re-formed eye.

'I offer you this second eye and a return to power, but I need you to join our cause. It would give you a chance to take revenge on Sam Parker and Hope.' Nyx held out the cloth.

Pandora took it, unwrapped it and pushed the eye in her empty socket. With a first piece of power returning, she healed the eye into her body. A faint itch was all that she felt when she blinked.

'What do you want me to do, mistress?'

'Raze Camp Half-Blood to the ground,' replied Nyx with a ferocious grin.

* * *

They sat at a table in one of the larger rooms in the hospital. The news of the rescue had spread like wildfire and now they were about to discuss what was to happen next. Around the table sat people from different groups, all involved with his exile and rescue, among them a couple of gods.

'Is everybody here?' Harley asked the group gathering her notes.

Everybody looked around the room, but it seemed that everybody was here. The group fell silent. Several of them watched Harley expectantly.

'Before I start, I want to ask you to keep remarks and questions until I have said my thing, after that we can start discussing our course of action.'

They all nodded.

'Sam Parker has been returned to Camp Half-Blood. He was unconscious, in a sleep like state, when brought in late last night. His overall health was good, he even gained some muscle mass during his time away. A couple of new scars were found on his body, but they seemed to have healed up nicely. As of this moment, Sam has woken up once, and asked Rain if he was at Elysium. He drifted back to sleep and we have stationed someone with him. My main concern for now is figure out how extensive the Mist-manipulation executed by Hecate has altered his memories and mind. Any questions?'

'Yes,' replied Suzan with a raised hand. 'Who are they?' She pointed at the three people sitting in front of her.

'Violet, the floor is yours,' said Harley.

'My name is Violet Ocean, a licensed psychiatrist, daughter of Psyche,' spoke the green eyed demigod calmly. 'I was Sam's psychiatrist at Elysium Rehabilitation Centre. These people are Elizabeth, a nurse-orderly and Phoebe, a nurse,' she finished gesturing at the people sitting next to her.

'Legacy of Mars and battlefield medic,' replied Elizabeth assertively.

'Hi, Phoebe, legacy of Aphrodite and nurse,' replied Phoebe nervously.

'We are the ones who kept your brother safe until it was time for him to go on his journey,' said Violet staring at Suzan. 'We used that time to train him and help him deal with his inner demons. And I reinforced the idea that the demigod world was fictional to help him recover.'

'I contacted Violet as I thought we could keep Sam safe until he needed to return,' said Harley. 'As a mental patient nobody would question his ideas about Greek gods and mythology being real. The problems with his inner demons were a bonus.'

'Then why did my brother end up in Las Vegas under the guidance of a Hunter?' asked Suzan.

'That would be my doing,' replied Artemis from the head of the table. 'Well, the Fates' doing, but they used me to get him exiled from camp and they ordered me to pair him up with Hunter Kowalski.' The goddess gave Hunter a nod. 'As to why her, I have no idea, but I dare to say she did a perfect job.'

'I am sorry Harley, but you spoke of we,' said Chiron.

'I pitched my idea to Hecate, Circe and Aphrodite. They agreed to help carry out the plan of getting Sam to safety,' replied Harley. 'They ignored Zeus' orders and made sure he was taken care of.'

'Aphrodite came to us in a dream to warn us of Sam's arrival,' said Phoebe while pointing at herself and Violet. 'Circe visited us once to make sure no minions of Nyx had figured it out.'

'You're saying my half-sister and mother were aware of where he was, but failed to mention it to us?' asked Suzan one eyebrow raised at Circe. The goddess did not react.

'Yes. It was on a need to know basis,' said Violet. 'And the firstborn doesn't know about us, we're people who help sighted mortal, not campers and warriors.'

Suzan shook her head in disbelief.

'What happened after his stay at the clinic?' asked Chiron.

'We got him settled in an apartment in NYC with a caretaker. He left on a hiking trip and we didn't hear from him until Harley called us this morning. Circe brought us here.'

'I guess this is where I come in,' said Hunter sliding a notebook to the middle of the table. 'I met Sam after a couple of weeks of solo camping. We became hiking partners. I helped him out, while he did his thing. I used some of my powers to get us to move quicker. Occasionally I knocked him out with the sleeping potion to carry him to the next location. He never said anything about it, but I think he blamed his faulty memory.'

'What about Vegas?' asked Percy.

'I'm getting there,' replied Hunter with a sigh. 'At one point, Sam was ill because he had not told me about his stump and the pain. We found refuge at Indianapolis with other Hunters. We stayed for two weeks. I met Athena, Lupa and Hermes. Sam also met Poseidon at Montauk. After Lupa told me Sarah made it to Jupiter, we arrived at Vegas. This was all after Indianapolis. There we entered the Lotus Casino. This pendant,' Hunter showed them the necklace. 'Made me immune to the magic of the place, but Sam was taken in by the magic of the casino.'

'The disbalance of which Tyche and Nemesis spoke,' said Chiron.

'Could be,' replied Hunter. 'He started playing gambling games, while I honed my skills in a hunting game. After a couple of days, he received his own private room where he cleaned out every opponent. And you know what the scary part of it was? It weren't the monsters and bad guys he played against, but the way he seemed to become stronger with each passing game. A week later, we got out thanks to Piper, Percy and Annabeth.'

'Okay, so now that we have the full story,' said Suzan. 'What's the notebook?'

'It's Sam's,' said Hunter. 'It's filled with thoughts, memories, dreams and descriptions of people he met in real life and in his dreams. I recognized a couple of gods and campers, but not all of it.'

'I thought he was to have no memories of his time as a demigod,' said Chiron with a quiver in his voice.

Circe let out a laugh. 'You're wise, Chiron, but you do not know my mother. Of course she did as told, but full erasure of ones memories is only achieved in two ways: one, you make them drink gallons of Lethe water. Option two is death. Since Lethe water would turn him in a mindless puppet and death as a second option, Hecate only covered his memories with a thick coat of special Mist.'

'Wait a minute,' said Annabeth. 'You refused to do it when asked.'

Circe shot her a grin. 'The children of Hecate look after one another. Yes, I can't do it like my mother and I would've made Sam into a wreck that would need 24 hour care for the rest of his life, so of course we agreed she would do it. It would keep him safe from both Nyx and the Olympians.'

'And Hecate is really protective of her children,' remarked Percy with a grin.

'Then why allow his memories to leak out?' asked Artemis.

'Even the Mist can't hold back every memory, especially powerful ones. Those filled with strong emotions are likely to break through,' said Circe. 'That's why Sam remembers Sarah. He loves her with all his heart and the grief of losing his parents is connected with that.'

'How to we reverse it?' asked Harley.

'We can't. Mom can.' Circe picked up the notebook and leafed through it.

'Then what do we do? We need him,' said Annabeth.

'We introduce him to the demigod world,' said Violet. 'Play it as if he were a new camper just on the verge of discovering his heritage. I already convinced him that it can't be real, but nothing would stop you from proving me wrong.'

The group fell silent as the idea was thrown out there.

'It could work,' said Annabeth gazing at Violet with calculating grey eyes. 'But we have a lot of things to think about. There are a myriad of things that could cause it to backfire.'

'If we,' Violet gestured at herself and crew. 'Were to disappear before you told him, that would eliminate one possible threat. Same goes for Hunter and others.'

'That won't work,' said Hunter. 'Annabeth and Percy are in that notebook, same goes for Caliope, Sarah, Reyna, gods and many others. There are too many people whom he would recognize , eventually.'

'Then we break the news to him very gently,' said Violet decisively. 'We tell him whatever you tell new campers and explain why he was with us.'

'That could work,' said Annabeth.

'Why don't we think about this for another day before we act?' asked Harley. 'We have a lot to think about.'

The group agreed before breaking up. Harley stayed behind with a couple of stragglers. Annabeth came to her.

'Rain is sleeping in the same room, can we trust her?'

'They're friends,' said Harley. 'Someone needs to tell her and she'll keep it for now.'

Annabeth nodded. 'She'll have to, we can't lose him again.'


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24 Lies**

'Are you absolutely certain Circe knew?' asked John as they all sat around the dining room table, mugs with steaming tea in front of them.

Suzan nodded. 'She was in on Harley's plan from the start.'

'So Harley came up with the idea and mom gave her blessing?' Lou squeezed Charlotte's hand.

The eldest sisters locked eyes for a second before Suzan gave her the affirmative answer.

'What happens now?' asked Jade as she fiddled with her rings.

Suzan shook her head. 'I don't know. There's a lot of variables that need to considered, but I guess someone will have to tell him sooner or later. And then we can see about the Mist and binding.'

'Can we even undo that?' Mia made her tea float out of the mug. 'It seems so … permanent.'

'We can,' said a voice from the door opening of the kitchen. The black haired woman with an athletic build gave her siblings a toast with her own cup of tea. 'It would be easier with the help from mother, but we could reverse the effects. Problem is that…'

'The magic will reconnect in full swing, giving Sam a tremendous power boost. Without his knowledge on how to handle magic, you get unstable stuff,' finished Lou.

'Styx,' muttered Ronan.

Banging on the cabin door interrupted the meeting. Before one of the mages could react, a second person joined the first.

John waved his hand, opening the door.

The mages saw Caliope and Eve barging in, still wearing their armour from sword practice. Cali was dressed in a made-to-measure bronze breastplate adorned with silver waves. Matching gauntlets and shin guards shined in the sunlight. Eve wore a standard piece of armour but wielded an impressive shield bearing the Sun.

'Is it true, is he back?' panted Eve.

'It has to be him,' said Cali between breaths.

'Sam has indeed returned,' spoke Suzan. 'But he's to be left alone for now. His fragile state of mind could be overwhelmed by the sight of you two.'

'Why?' asked Eve undoing the ponytail she had and reverting the shield back into watch mode.

'Because he remembers you, but he isn't supposed to. He can't be a demigod for now,' said Circe. 'Seeing you two will confuse him if it happens too soon.'

The girls stared at each other.

'How?' asked Caliope. 'How does he remember us?'

'You know the answer yourself, honey,' replied Circe with a smile. 'And I guess he triggered a memory of you, Eve, while trying out archery.'

Cali blushed and averted her eyes.

Eve shot them a grin. 'Could very well be,' replied the daughter of Apollo. 'I drilled it into him.'

* * *

'So, he's at camp?' asked Sarah as she stood before Reyna's desk. The legacy of both Apollo and Mercury fiddled with her long ponytail. She was dressed in her purple shirt, but wore gauntlets and armoured sandals with her leather skirt.

Reyna nodded. 'Percy and Annabeth had to make a quick decision, so they took him to the Greeks on instinct. He's doing fine physically, but we are worried about the mental pressure because of the entire Mist manipulation and exile. If you want I can give you a couple of days off to go visit him.' She interrupted her message writing to look up.

Sarah shook her head. 'It would make it harder for him. I know he remembers something of me.' The legacy spotted a small smile on her praetor's face. 'And I don't want to add to the pressure with …' She tightened her grip on her helmet while averting her gaze from Reyna.

'I understand,' replied Reyna cutting off the conversation before sealing the message with wax and her personal ring. 'Take this to the Senate as quickly as you can. We need more time to prepare for the battle.'

'Yes, praetor,' said Sarah putting the message in her bag. 'Sword practice still at six?'

'Of course, you better be there or latrine duty might be your next assignment.' Reyna shot her a stern look before waving her away.

Sarah rolled her eyes as she turned around. Putting her helmet on, she watched the legionnaires doing drills. A moment later she was running down the pathway to the Senate.

* * *

The girl hadn't spoken to him ever since Annabeth had come to see him after lunch. He had a vague feeling of deja vu whenever he looked at her. There was a nurse named Helen who had been assigned to him after his arrival. She had brown hair tied in a bun and she wore a clean stark white uniform. She came every so often to check his vitals and temperature (checks that required extensive scrubbing pre and post check-up) , but Sam had the nagging suspicion that she was supposed to spy on him.

While the room was familiar to his room in Elysium, it was different. It was bigger and offered more space for each of the four patients, but it had a warmer feel to it. Not having a metal mesh in front of the windows or heavy duty restraints attached to your bed was a good start.

Sam climbed out of bed and hopped over to the window on his left leg. He tried opening the window to let in some air, but it wouldn't budge.

'They don't open, they're stuck,' said the girl from her side of the room.

'Thanks for the heads up.' Sam started watching the people down below.

'I am Rain,' said the girl.

'Sam.'

He saw people walking around with fishing rods, dressed in Kevlar vests. Others carried knives, baseball bats and Sam even spotted a shotgun. Some groups were trying out formations after some fierce looking lady yelled orders at them. There was tension in the air.

'Is this a survivalist camp?' he asked. 'I've counted at least ten mean looking people carrying military gear.'

'Something like that,' replied Rain. 'It's more an adventure camp. Think modern day Dungeons and Dragons.'

'Oh, so that's why Percy and Annabeth were on that scavenger hunt. I didn't know they had this in Nevada.'

Sam stared out the window trying to look around the edge of the window, when he spotted a familiar face. The young woman laughed at a joke. Her green eyes and dirty blonde hair in combination with her stern look had etched themselves in his brain after so many talks at Elysium. As she walked away, Sam recognized her companion. Black hair. _Phoebe_.

'Violet,' he muttered.

Before he could react, he was pulled away from the window and pushed onto the floor. Legs and hands pinned him down. Regaining his focus, Sam saw that she was the one holding him down, like she had done before, but she had changed. Brown hair instead of blonde. Her grey eyed glare had remained the same though.

'Elizabeth?' he asked.

She shifted her position, while holding Sam's arms against his chest. Sam tried to push back, but she had strength and leverage working in her favour. Eventually she had him locked against her own upper body in a sitting position with her legs holding his in place.

'Why are you here, Liz?' he demanded.

She didn't answer. Instead she pushed harder, straining the position. A second set of footsteps came in. The person crouched down.

Helen was dressed in an isolation gown and gloves. Half her face was covered behind a surgical mask. Her eyes stared at him apologetically. She pushed a wet cloth against his face, covering his nose and mouth, and held it firmly in place.

Sam tried holding his breath, but the sharp smell entered his nose. As his lungs begged for air, Sam shook his head, but to no avail. Helen's grip was stronger than his resolve. Eventually he breathed in and the smell quickly filled his nose, while his mouth became dry. Sam felt his head becoming heavier. His eyes unfocused, blurring the women.

Slowly Sam slid to the floor as Elizabeth let him down gently as he drifted away. Helen dropped the cloth and checked his vitals. She turned him to his side as she made sure he was not swallowing his own tongue. Elizabeth dusted herself off and stared at the unconscious demigod. Helen was undressing her isolation garb.

'Let's get him back to bed,' said Helen.

Elizabeth lifted him up bridal style and dropped him on the bed. Helen opened up a closet space and pulled out a couple of electrodes for the heart monitor and four bed restraints.

'You do these, I'll hook him up,' she told Elizabeth.

The legacy nodded as she attached the first ankle cuff to the metal frame.

* * *

'Styx,' cursed Annabeth after hearing the news.

She, alongside the Elysium members, Suzan and Harley sat in the latter's office.

'How?' asked Suzan.

Elizabeth sighed. 'I wanted to get a quick glance at Sam before we left, but the girl, Rain, had called Helen with her call button. She saw him standing at the window and grabbed me with her as she doubled back to the nurses station. He recognized Violet and Phoebe, and me,' she finished off with a nervous smile.

'So how do we continue from here?' asked Violet. 'We need to tell him, his frustrations will only build over time.'

'He's been kicking and screaming ever since he woke up again, demanding to see you three,' said Harley. 'I guess he's building up a tolerance against the knockout potion.'

'What now?' asked Annabeth. 'How do we break the news? It'll add to the difficulties if he takes it badly.'

Violet let out a snort. 'Not to be mean, Annabeth, but we've sailed past that point by now. We go in, three man team to break it to him. I would suggest myself, Annabeth and Hunter. The girl was his partner for his odyssey, he needs to hear from her.'

'I'll get her,' said Elizabeth before walking out.

* * *

Together they walked into his room. Helen had moved him to a single room, as the medical team had deemed is better for everyone if he was quarantined for a while. Annabeth closed the door as Violet and Hunter took a seat on some chairs.

'Took you long enough,' said Sam glaring at Violet.

'What are you wearing?' asked Hunter referring to the mesh mask that covered his face.

'That is a spit mask,' said Violet neutrally. 'I guess you used the only weapon you had against Helen?'

'Yelling at the top of my lungs didn't work,' retorted Sam with a smirk.

'Don't smirk at me,' said Violet. 'Why did you want to see me?'

Annabeth glanced from Violet to Sam, understanding how Violet was working her way up to explaining things.

'How and why are you here?'

'Single question,' returned Violet.

'Why?'

'Because we got a call that you were here after encountering some thugs.'

'Rain called this a camp,' said Sam. 'From what I have seen this looks like a survivalist camp, something a Hunter would visit.' Sam shot Hunter a quick glance.

'Stop diverting the conversation to others, you asked me a question. Yes, this a camp for teenagers who are trained to survive. They get training in weaponry and P.E. Teamwork and survival skills are also part of the curriculum.'

'We're not in Nevada are we?'

'Of course not,' replied Violet. 'Since when does Nevada border the sea?'

'Stop playing games, Violet and just tell me what's going on,' groaned Sam.

Violet exchanged glances and looks with Annabeth and Hunter.

'Tell me!' yelled Sam. 'Just tell me what the hell is going on, you stupid b…'

'Finish that sentence and I'll have you force fed through a tube for dinner,' threatened Violet in a flash of anger. 'Ten, nine, eight.'

Sam screamed at the top of his lungs while pulling against the restraints.

'Seven, six, five.' Violet moved to Sam's bed and removed the spit mask.

'Tell me!' Sam tried snapping at Violet, but she didn't flinch.

'Four, three, two, one.'

Sam breathed out through his nose and sank back into the pillow. 'I hate it when you do that,' he whispered.

'Because it works,' replied Violet.

'Violet, you want to tell me something, so just do it, please?' pleaded Sam staring at her.

Violet stroked his hair. 'We'll get to it in a second. I need you to calm down for another minute and keep an open mind to what we are going to tell you.'

'Okay.'

Hunter saw Sam's expression get calmer as Violet retook her place next to her.

'I lied,' said Violet. 'It was for you own good, but I lied to you.'

Sam nodded as Violet kept quiet.

'Sam,' started Annabeth as they rehearsed. 'What do you know about Greek and Roman mythology?' She pulled out a book from the bag she brought with her. _Peter Johnson and the Lightning Heist._


	25. Chapter 25

**AN: Thanks to "gamer98" for the positive review and the boost in views, it's much appreciated :) To give you some feedback: I am sorry for any spelling/grammar errors that might occur. English is not my native language and I use the British way of spelling words (like colour/color).**

 **I have tried bringing the original characters more to the front next to my own creations, so I am happy it is working. As to why Circe is working with CHB, you're correct that blood is thicker than water. You'll find out more about this later on.**

* * *

 **Chapter 25 Consequence**

The friends sat at the amphitheatre discussing the return of their friend.

'Rain told me that they had to drug him into submission,' said Cate. 'I'm glad he still got spirit, but that doesn't sound all that good.' She tossed the drachma to Damien who ran it across his knuckles.

'You should've heard him yelling at Helen and cursing everything and everyone when he woke up,' said Eve as she continued to restring her bow. 'She came in furiously scrubbing her face and asked where she could find the spit mask.'

'A what?' asked Cali as she turned her marshmallows around in the fire.

'You have those?' asked George as he sharpened a knife.

Eve nodded. 'We have a lot of equipment. After the whole thing with Nyx, Will and Harley wanted to get more specialized material. A spit mask is mostly used in situations where patients spit at their caretakers.'

'Sam spat at Helen? Oh dear,' said Jesse.

'Yeah, I heard that they might tell him everything, but it could have serious consequences,' said Cali. She offered one of the pieces to the group and bit in hers. 'And then you have the whole Sarah thing as well.'

'But she's at Jupiter, no? So they'll take care of her for now,' said Damien.

A trio approached them. Two cloaked figures stepped from the shadows. Removing their hoods, they revealed themselves as John and Suzan. Percy joined them a moment later.

'Eve? You busy?'

The group turned to the three. Eve stood up.

'Not really, what's up?'

'We need you to come with us. Sam is being told about the Greek mythology world and we might need your help.'

'Of course.'

Eve picked up her bow and joined the three before jogging towards the hospital.

* * *

'The myths are stories that were told to explain the world, later the philosophers started questioning them as science started to emerge as a way to explain the world with proof,' recited Sam. 'Today they often serve as metaphors and sources of inspiration for fictional works, like that one.' Sam nodded at the book.

'You've read it?' asked Annabeth.

'Gotta do something when being locked up in a nuthouse,' replied Sam with a grin as Violet rolled her eyes.

'What do you think of it?'

'Pretty cool premise, neatly woven into the real world. Loveable characters, decent fantasy by my standards. The whole thing about the gods influencing the world is a good cover for the Greek style of building things. And democracy too. Even her scout troop is called after the maidens of Artemis.'

'True,' said Annabeth with a smile. 'But what if I were to tell you that some parts of the book are real?'

Sam thought about it for a second. 'What is real?'

'Remember to keep an open mind about this. The Greek and Roman gods are real and they have children with mortals. These children are demigods and are trained to get the hang of things as a demigod. We all have forms of ADHD and or dyslexia as a result of demigods being able to read ancient Greek or Latin.'

Sam chuckled before laughing at the people sitting in front of him. 'We? Violet, I think I have another patient for you. Listen, Annabeth, why don't you untie me and let me walk out of here. You're crazier than me.'

'Sam, I lied to you,' Violet cut in. 'The Greek gods are real and we are their children and descendants.'

'You … you lied,' muttered Sam as his eyes glistened. Sam cackled as he blinked the tears away. 'You lied.'

'Sam,' spoke Annabeth calmly. 'You are one of us. You came to this summer camp to train at being a demigod. Earlier this year you had some trouble and attacked a god. This got you exiled until you came back.'

'Could we stop for a minute?' asked Sam. 'You are telling me that I am a demigod, but it just can't be. Can you guys leave for a while?'

Violet watched her former patient as she sensed the turmoil in his emotions. The sharp anger was fighting with fear. Disbelief was crumbling beneath a wave of sadness.

'Of course. We could release the restraints if you promise to not leave,' said Violet.

'I can't,' replied Sam decisively.

'Alright,' said Violet. 'Do you want a drink? We can get you something.'

Sam shook his head. 'No thanks, but could you get my notebook? I want to read it again.'

'Sure thing. Hunter, you coming?'

'Give me a sec.' Hunter grabbed the rail at the end of the bed and stared at Sam's eyes. 'Ask away.'

'Did you lie to me too?' The shakiness in his voice was louder than the words.

Hunter nodded. 'Yes, but not about myself. I am a Hunter of Artemis and I was charged with keeping you safe. In the end, I kept a friend safe from harm.' She gave him a smile.

His stare hardened. 'You're not a friend. You're a fraud. Get out.'

Violet pulled Hunter away as her expression changed. She pushed the girl against her shoulder and held her in the middle of the hallway as Annabeth closed the door. The maiden cried silently as Violet comforted her. She waved the daughter of Athena away as she felt Hunter's pain rise up.

* * *

Arriving at the hospital, the group found Annabeth seated next to a distraught Hunter Kowalski and Violet who was trying to keep Hunter close by.

'Hey guys,' said Annabeth giving them their privacy by guiding the others towards the hallway.

'What's up with the hunter?' asked Suzan.

'Sam sort of reacted negatively to the idea of him being a demigod and getting "tricked",' admitted Annabeth. 'He lashed out at Hunter and she's not taking it very well. They went through a lot together and she's hurt.'

'Hell, this is turning into a major train wreck,' said John with a sigh. 'We need mom to reverse the Mist. He'll be able to handle it better if he has all of his memories intact.'

'Hunter, please stay. We could use you,' said Violet loudly as the hunter pushed the notebook into her hands and made her way towards the door. 'He didn't mean it like that. He's scared and frustrated.'

'You heard him, he doesn't need me anymore.' And with that, the hunter vanished into the early night.

'Balls,' cursed Violet approaching the group. 'We need to tread lightly, if we want to keep the consequences to a minimum.'

'Maybe John is right,' said Percy. 'Can't we wait for Hecate to do her thing?'

'Let's wait until after we've talked to him again,' decided Eve. 'It's what you brought me here for.'

They nodded and together made their way to Sam's room.

* * *

She walked around aimlessly, avoiding people as they appeared at each corner and turn. The early autumn air of Sepetmber was colder, but closing up her jacket didn't seem to help. The knot in her stomach became worse as she remembered the nights they had laughed and eaten grilled food close to the fire.

Eventually her feet brought her to a shrine. The walls and floor were made of marble, while the benches were made from a blue stone. Lit torches luminated the space. At the end stood a large statue. It took Hunter a moment to realize it was the Athena Parthenos.

Ignoring the tall image of the war goddess, Hunter sat down on one of the benches and hugged her knees leaning against a cold wall. Fresh tears stung as they slid down her cheeks. A wail escaped her lips and resonated against the structure.

'I never liked it when girls cried in my temples,' spoke a voice.

Hunter felt a cloth brush against her cheek, wiping away the tear. She tensed as she saw the cloth was held by a well-manicured hand.

'Especially, when they cry because of one of my children,' spoke another.

Hunter slowly let her legs slide down as she turned to Athena.

The war goddess was dressed in battle armour, with blue robes covering her body. She used a piece of that cloth to wipe away Hunter's tear. Her grey eyes were comforting, yet calculating. The goddess wiped away the other tear and made the cloth bigger and draped it over Hunter like a blanket.

'Thank you, Lady Athena,' sniffed Hunter.

'Do not mention it. Smart girls are not to cry in my shrine.'

Hunter nodded before turning her attention to the second goddess in the room. She wore dark robes that seemed to melt together with the shadows. Green runes flickered in the darkness. Her face was ghastly white, with tired green eyes staring at the shrine. In her hands she held a black helmet shaped like a cat head.

'Lady Hecate,' muttered Hunter courteously.

'Hunter Kowalski,' replied the goddess.

'It's been a while since I saw you wear that helmet,' said Athena with a raised eyebrow. 'Last time you had the entire island of Manhattan confined.'

'I only wear it in times of great need,' replied Hecate with a sigh. 'When magic might not be enough. But blue robes, Athena? If I didn't know better, people could assume you could be pleasing the Lord of the Seas.' Hecate grinned.

Athena returned the grin with a playful glare.

Hunter had held her breath during the exchange, afraid to disturb either one of them.

'Breathe, my dear,' said Hecate. 'We won't vaporize you.'

'I do not like staining my shrines and she likes the people who keep her children safe,' retorted Athena. 'That's why her eldest is expecting a baby.'

'He doesn't want me to be there,' exclaimed Hunter.

'Because he is scared, angry and disappointed,' said Athena. 'He feels betrayed by a friend he thought he could trust. Give him time to think and he will get back.'

'Trust us,' said Hecate. 'Sam is a stubborn boy, and yes that is my fault.' Hecate silenced the war goddess with a look. 'It's part of who I am and I pass it on pretty easily, but he cares for those he loves. And love is quite powerful magic.'

Hunter groaned as she looked up and saw the stars on the ceiling. 'But I am a fraud. I was not a random encounter, I was a pawn in the Fates' plan. It was my task to keep him safe.'

'And yet, he feels badly about what he said,' replied Hecate with a small smile. 'Would that be what you feel if you wanted to cut ties?'

Hunter shrugged. 'I guess not.'

The green runes on the shadowy robes glowed up and Hecate gave Athena a nod. 'We must go, it is time.'

'Wait, what's happening?' asked Hunter.

'It's time for the last preparations,' said Athena with a stern gaze. 'Battle is coming and we need Sam's power.'

Without any further warning, both goddesses vanished in columns of fire, leaving Hunter alone in the shrine.

As Hunter opened her eyes, she looked back up to the ceiling and its stars. As she walked out of the shrine, she noticed that she was still wearing the blue cloth Athena had given her.

It was covered in silver specks, resembling the stars on the ceiling. A black and white design of a compass rose stood in the middle. Suddenly the black parts melted away and formed a cat figure. The shadow cat walked across the cloth and played with the stars.

Hunter draped it around her shoulders before feeling a weight in her pocket. She reached in and pulled out the disposable camera she and Sam had bought in Indianapolis. Hunter let out a laugh as the idea formed in her head. Feeling comforted by the cloak, the Hunter of Artemis ventured into the night.


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26 Family**

Sam blinked away the tears as he heard voices outside the door. He was angry, but the feeling did nothing to make the ache easier to bear.

The door opened and in came Violet and other people. The last one he recognized.

'Eve!' he exclaimed with a smile.

'Hi, Sam,' replied the daughter of Apollo with a bright smile of her own. 'Heard you have been causing another scene.'

Sam stared at Eve

'So, you remember me too?'

Eve nodded as she played with her brown braid. 'We've been friends ever since you jumped into an arena to stop a Nemean Lion from eating the younger kids. And we've had our fair amount of arguments. I taught you how to use a bow and arrow.'

'Yeah, I remember,' said Sam flexing his fingers. 'You're a mean teacher.'

'Yet you still know how to fire an arrow. You need mean teachers,' Eve shot him a grin. 'You once told me about your math teacher who you absolutely hate because she picks on you, yet you're not that bad with mathematics.'

'That proves nothing. I learn with nice teachers too,' huffed Sam.

'Sure, but it's a mean teacher like me that challenges you, right? Before me, you did everything to evade the archery range, but now you like to challenge yourself. You had Percy as your sword teacher and what do you use in combat? Magic, an axe and the occasional bow.'

'I use an axe? Me?' Sam stared at the people in front of him. They all acknowledged the fact.

'Yeah, you and swords are not an ideal match,' said Percy nervously rubbing his neck. 'And believe me, we have tried.'

'Who taught me magic?' he asked.

'That would be us and our other siblings,' replied Suzan.

Sam watched the pair intently. He was a broad guy with a trimmed beard. She was smaller, but had a stern demeanour. And her eyes were pitch black. 'You must be John and Lou.'

'Not quite, he is John, but I am Suzan.'

'Oh, Lou exists, right?'

'Yeah, Lou exists,' replied John with a chuckle. 'She's resting.'

'If you're John John, who was John at Elysium?' asked Sam, directing his question to Violet.

'Also John, but a legacy of Mars,' replied Violet. 'It's Elizabeth we transformed into a look alike of Annabeth and her siblings.' Violet continued the remark as Annabeth seemed puzzled. 'It was one of the first memories he wrote down. Something about a sphinx and hard questions. Disappointment was the word I would use to describe the attached emotion.'

Annabeth shook her head with a smile. 'It was a deal we made. I would dress up as the Sphinx if I could "dissect" him. The look on your face when I told you there were no feathers involved, pure disappointment.'

'Very funny.'

Suddenly a pain radiated from behind his eyes. He gasped for air as the breath was knocked from his lungs. He pulled against the restraints as the pain coursed through his limbs. A raw sound came from his throat.

In a flash he found himself lying down, with Violet and Eve standing over him. Eve was shining a pen light in his eyes. The light made the pain worse, so he turned away.

'Pupils are reacting, it's not a stroke,' said Violet. 'Call Harley, stat. Sam, if you can hear me, try to relax. Remember the floating exercise? Try it. He's is pain, it's coming from everywhere.'

'It's magic,' said Suzan. 'It's fighting its way out. He needs to be unbound fast.'

'Do it,' said Eve. The medic pushed a dose of tranquilizer into his veins.

'Not with his blocked memories. It could destroy him.'

Sam arched his entire body against the leather straps before he sank back down and panted. Violet took his pulse. It was slowing down.

From the shadows appeared a woman. She was dressed in black robes with green runes. Her tired eyes stared at the scene.

'It is time,' she announced.

'Mom?' asked John.

The door opened and Harley stormed in, closely followed by Athena.

'Mom?' asked Annabeth staring at her mother.

'What's going on?' asked Percy.

* * *

Harley stared at the monitor for a couple of seconds and she cut away his shirt to expose his bare chest and the electrodes. She continued the preparations by strapping Sam back in. A first groan escaped his lips.

'I am ready,' said Harley to the two goddesses.

Athena nodded before moving the bed in the centre of the room, so that they had space to walk around the bed.

Hecate finished the concoction she was preparing and used her fingers to draw dark green symbols on Sam's face, forehead, chest and body. She said her spell and the symbols burned brightly green, as if green fire had been painted on Sam's body. After a second the flames died down and faint imprints remained.

Sam woke up coughing and fought against the restraints until Hecate pushed him back down. 'Mom?' he slurred.

'Yes, my son,' spoke Hecate stroking his face.

Sam smiled as drool ran from his mouth. 'You're here.'

'Sam, before we continue, I need to ask you something.'

'Shoot,' answered Sam before giggling.

'Do I have permission to undo the Mist covering?'

'Sure,' said Sam enthusiastically. 'Memory lane.'

'Sam, if I do this, there is no way back. You'll have most memories back, which will confuse you at time for now. And you will experience heavy bouts of emotional outbursts. Are you still okay with me doing this?'

'I need to know,' he replied dozing back in for a second. 'I need to know where Sarah is.'

Hecate laughed quietly and stroked his face. She was amazed as to how ineffective it had been. He would always remember her.

'Just do it, I'll be okay.'

'Okay. Joanne, he is good to go.'

Harley pushed in the dose of anaesthetics.

'Mom?'

'Yes, Sam?'

'Thanks for the cat,' he muttered before he fell asleep.

Hecate blinked away some tears as the realization hit her. _He had known._

Harley offered her a tissue and smiled before going out the door.

Athena stood on one side of the bed, while Hecate stood on the other. The goddess of magic chanted as Mist rolled into the room and covered the bed before flowing into Sam's nostrils, mouth and ears. The mothers held hands as they started to work.

* * *

After two grueling hours of waiting, the divine mothers walked out of the room. Circe immediately offered them nectar and ambrosia.

'How did it go?' asked Harley.

'Better than expected,' said Athena. 'The magic and the not so effective Mist, made it easier to restore his memories. We have recovered almost all memories, but some were lost during the extraction of the Mist.'

'They are no important ones,' said Hecate. 'Vague memories of him as a child, long lost dreams. He will need time to recover. He'll have headaches, mood swings and moments of lostness. It are the memories folding back into place. He will need supervision for the first couple of days.'

'That means, no heavy magic, no pressing for memories, not fooling around for fun.' That last bit was directed at Cate and Damien. 'Fail to cooperate and I'll have you vivisected. So, we take it easy, understood?' demanded Harley.

The group of mages and friends nodded.

'Are you ready?' asked Hecate. 'He's still sleeping, so we can do it now.'

The female mages nodded before following Hecate back into the room.

* * *

The pair of floating torches illuminated just enough of the room that the mages could see who was there, but everything else was dark as night.

Hecate stood behind Lou on one end of the bed, with Circe and Suzan on the other end. Mia and Jade stood on the opposite sides the bed. All mages wore their dark cloaks, waiting for the start.

'Mom, why are you present?' asked Lou without facing Hecate.

'Someone needs to replace you in the circle,' responded the goddess. 'You are not to endanger yourself or the baby. I will offer you some of my power to undo your seal. The Red King isn't easy to undo.'

'We can't do this,' said Jade softly. 'Can't we wait until he has recovered from the Mist healing?'

'No,' replied Suzan. 'Sam's power is necessary in the upcoming battle. And we need someone to lead part of the Greek army.'

'Jade is right,' said Mia staring each sister in the eye. She cut off any protest by continuing. 'The magic will reconnect in full swing when the binding is undone. What do we do when he has a moment of anger and unleashes hell?'

'Then we avoid him being angry,' said Suzan fiercely.

'You can't,' said Circe. 'The undoing of the Mist will take time to fully heal.'

'What about a partial binding?' said Mia. 'We remove four seals, but leave one behind and strengthen it. It'll keep some of his powers locked, but he'd still be able to get magic back under control with the rest.'

'You've read the book,' said Hecate with a smile.

Mia nodded. 'Are we doing this?'

Her sisters nodded. 'But who's seal are we keeping?' asked Circe.

'Yours,' decided Hecate. 'Strengthen it after we've undone the other four. You will know when to undo it.'

'It'll be done,' said Circe. 'Let us begin.'

Hecate waved her hand and showed the seals that her daughters had placed on her son. The Red King, black spiral, Titan rune, moon and spirit with the extra seals by Hecate.

As Circe started mumbling the spell, she lent her strength to her youngest sisters who started undoing their work.

Hecate held Lou by the shoulders and let some of her powers flow into Lou. Afterwards she removed her minor seals with a wave of her hand. They alongside the moon and spirit were the first to vanish.

Lou breathed in and out as the divine power flowed through her veins. She muttered the incantation and started to dissolve the Red King from Sam's body.

* * *

Chiron joined them at the table of the Big House. It had been an interesting summer, but this would easily be the most memorable thing. It wasn't every day you would have four gods sitting at your table.

'How will we proceed?' he asked.

'We will inform father of the recent developments and persuade him to pick up his weapons against Nyx,' said Athena with a nod to Dionysius.

'I will remain with my siblings at Camp Half-Blood to keep an eye out for Sam,' said Circe. 'If anything, I could help with the preparations for the war effort.'

'I must return to Tartarus and move the Doors of Death again. Nyx is moving her army around and the demigods are going to face a large army if we do not intervene,' spoke Hecate. 'I trust that Sam will be a battle ready soon.'

'We shall take it slow,' said Dionysius fiddling with a flask. 'I will offer him my help if he needs it.' The wine god shot the goddess of magic a smile.

'Thank you,' said Hecate before vanishing into nothingness.

'We must also leave,' said Athena. 'The sooner we inform father, the sooner we can get to work.'

The two Olympians vanished in a bright light.

'So Chiron, it's been a while since we've talked,' said Circe with a grin.

Chiron sighed as he scratched his beard. 'How's the island, Circe?'

'Being restored,' she replied.

'We could use you on the battlefield. We've seen you during Pandora's battle.'

Circe shook her head. 'Not my place, but I will offer my assistance as a medic and guide my siblings during training.'

'Are you certain Sam will be alright?'

'For the sake of Olympus, he has to be.'


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27 Fallout**

Rain was awakened by the sound of muffled sobs. She turned on the lights and watched her only roommate sitting upright in his bed. He held a hand over his mouth as tears streamed across his cheeks. Rain immediately pushed her call button.

'Sam,' she spoke. 'Everything okay?'

'No,' he sobbed. 'And I don't know why. I keep feeling bad about myself. I have these images floating in my head. Is Percy here?'

'He's probably sleeping, it's the middle of the night. Why do you need him?'

Sam shook his head. 'I don't exactly know why. It's more a feeling.'

Helen and Violet came rushing in. They stared at the two patients, but Rain pointed at Sam who had started to sob again. Violet took a seat on his bed and held his hand.

'Sam, what's the matter?'

'I want to tell something to Percy,' he said. He took a tissue when Helen offered him one.

'Can we take a message to Percy?' asked Helen.

Sam shook his head. 'It's personal.'

'If I take you to see Percy, will you go back to sleep?' asked Violet stroking his unruly hair.

Sam nodded sheepishly and mumbled a response.

'Helen, would you be so kind to help Sam get his leg on. I'll help him get to Percy.'

Half an hour later, Violet was escorting Sam across the plaza of cabins towards the third cabin. A fire was still burning in the middle of the Omega-shaped figure of the cabins. They finally arrived at the cabin and Violet knocked on the door.

Stumbling noises came from inside and after a couple of swears and hushed sounds, the door opened and a blonde-haired demigod appeared in the doorway. Annabeth Chase rubbed her eyes.

'Sam, Violet? Why … Why are you here at this hour?'

'Sam has something important he wants to tell Percy,' replied Violet purposefully ignoring the fact that she was sleeping in Percy's cabin.

'Okay,' muttered Annabeth with a yawn. 'I'll get him.'

Moments later the two heroes returned to the doorway. Seeing Percy Jackson in person made Sam cry again.

'I'm sorry,' he said between sobs. 'I'm so sorry.'

Taken aback by the sudden shift, Percy stared at Annabeth who shrugged with a puzzled look.

'Why are you apologizing?' asked Percy.

'Your mother,' sniffled Sam. 'She was nice to me. She gave me a blue cookie for dessert before driving me back to the National Park. Estelle was funny that day. She made me laugh too.'

'We know,' said Percy. 'You met her during your journey.'

'Yeah, but I told you that Paul should raise Estelle on his own. I threatened to kill Sally, but she's a nice person.' Sam fell to his knees. 'I am sorry I wanted to hurt you like I was hurt. Nobody should ever feel that.'

'You never …' Percy silenced himself as he remembered the words Sam had spoken before his exile. _Have Paul raise Estelle on his own._ He had reacted on instinct and unleashed water at Sam.

Annabeth crouched to Sam's level and grabbed him into a motherly hug. 'It's okay Sam. Percy understands why you said that. You were angry, but you would never really do that, do you? I mean, you would never have blue cookies again.'

Sam let out a cry that sounded like a smothered laugh. 'I am really sorry about that. She really is nice.'

'We know,' said Annabeth with a sad smile. 'I am sure she understands if you explain it to her.'

'I'll make it up to you, Percy. By the gods, I swear I will make it up to you.'

After a few moments Sam and Annabeth released each other. Sam said his goodbyes and Violet escorted him back to the hospital, while the lovers remained on the porch of cabin 3.

'Di Immortales,' cursed Annabeth. 'What did we do to him?'

'They were meaningless words. The remains of Nyx' poisonous ways,' muttered Percy. 'They were spoken in anger. What happens if he gets taken by the death of his foster parents? What if he demands to see Sarah?'

'Time will tell,' said Annabeth staring at the night sky.

* * *

 _Two days later._

'You were gone for nearly a day,' said Thalia sternly as she approached Hunter Kowalski's bed in Cabin 8.

'I know,' said Hunter as she unpacked a bow for practice. 'Had to get something from the city.' She pointed at a gift-wrapped package.

Thalia tutted. 'Not an excuse, Kowalski. You're supposed to tell me where you're going. Especially on your own in a monster infested city.'

'I know,' grumbled Hunter facing her lieutenant. 'But it was important.' Hunter stared at the blue eyed daughter of Zeus. 'It will not happen again.'

'Don't care, you're on gut duty for the next three months.'

'What?' exclaimed Hunter causing a few heads to turn in their direction. 'Get bent, Thalia. I spent months keeping him safe, he gets mad at me because I did as ordered, and now you're punishing me again? Get off your high horse and let me get to practice.' Hunter strapped a quiver to her back and picked up the bow and the package.

'Drop those. You get to clean the cabin as well.' Thalia stared at Hunter with sparks in her eyes.

'What if I don't? Are you going to boss me around like your father does to everyone else?'

The slap made her head spin. Hunter felt the imprint of Thalia's hand on her cheek.

'I am nothing like my father,' hissed Thalia.

'You have more in common than you think,' spat Hunter. She ignored the looks and Thalia's protest as she walked out of the cabin and made her way to the archery range.

Arriving moments later, she found that range deserted except for Eve, the daughter of Apollo, who was practicing with a wooden longbow. She was wearing athletic shorts and a tight T-shirt.

Hunter approached the range and took the lane beside Eve's.

'You're Hunter, right?' Eve asked releasing another shot.

Hunter deposited her quiver and the package before nocking an arrow. 'Yeah, Eve, right?'

'That's me.'

'You are quite the marksman,' said Hunter. 'Apollo's blessing?'

Eve snorted. 'Nah, just me and twelve months a year to practice. There's nothing much to do in the winter.'

'Ah.' Hunter released another arrow. 'Ever thought of joining the Hunters?'

'Nope,' grinned Eve. 'I like boys too much. Not Sam though.'

'Why not?' inquired Hunter with a grin of her own. She shot a bullseye.

'Too scrawny.'

'I would've mentioned his insufferable tendency to get into trouble. Imagine the dates.'

Eve disengaged the arrow and laughed as she stared at Hunter. 'And you had to do that for months.'

'Very funny.' Hunter fired her last arrow.

'Not kidding, but I heard what happened between you two. He's being stupid.' Eve put her bow away and started walking to collect her arrows.

'But he has a point,' said Hunter joining her down the lane.

'Not all of it was a trick, right? You had orders, but it's not as if you two didn't bond. I would if I had to trek with someone for months.'

'We did have Cheetos,' said Hunter with a smile.

Eve raised her eyebrows in a puzzled look, but Hunter waved it off. 'Well it's a start. Why don't you go see him. He could use a friend.'

'Thanks Eve.'

'Not a problem, Hunter the Hunter.'

'Very funny.'

* * *

Sam leafed through the notebook as his lunch stood untouched on the retractable table. He read the questions he had written down. Not all of them were very clear.

'If you're not eating that sandwich, mind if I take it?'

Sam looked up and saw a silver-haired girl standing at the end of his bed. He thanked the gods that Rain was at physical therapy. The girl was wearing black cargo shorts, thick leather body armour and a hooded cape that reminded him of the stars in the sky.

'Go ahead, Hunter.'

Hunter swiped the sandwich off the plate and started chomping down. Sam smiled at Hunter's puffed cheeks filled with bread and cheese.

'Listen,' started Sam. 'I wasn't thinking straight when I said what I said.'

Hunter shook her head. 'You were right, I was under orders at first, but I think we eventually became friends. And we might need to learn to trust each other again, but we can still be friends.'

'Of course we can,' replied Sam. 'What you got there?'

Hunter handed him the package which he quickly tore open.

'You didn't,' he said looking at the two identical photo albums. He opened one and spotted the pictures that he and others had taken during and after their stop in Indianapolis.

'You had them duplicated?'

'Yeah. You think I didn't want a keepsake of that trip?' Hunter picked up the second copy.

'That was a good night.' Sam showed her a picture of them playing Monopoly. 'Did I win?'

'You lost big time.'

'Holy Harpies,' muttered Sam. 'You even kept this one?'

Hunter laughed as she saw herself lifting a bag of Cheetos up to get the last crumbs out. 'Ah, Vegas. Fun times.'

'I can't recall this one.' Sam showed her the last picture. It was one of him sleeping in a car.

'I took that one after we rescued you from the Casino and we were on the way to camp.'

'If I remember this right, you drugged me.'

'Yes I did,' replied Hunter with a shrug. 'You were going to cause a scene in the middle of our escape.'

'What the hell did we all do?'

Hunter laughed before they watched the pictures together, piecing some memories back together.

* * *

Cold air filled his lungs as he stared at the broken windshield. A numbness spread all over his body. Sirens approached him, but they sounded far away. Sam felt as if he was sitting in a bowl of pillows. Slowly he turned his head and saw a lifeless body lying in the car seat. Blood slowly pooled over the dashboard.

'Dad?' he spoke as he drifted into darkness once again.

The scene shifted. He found himself standing in front of a mirror. Buzzcut hair, sunken green eyes looking sad. Dressed in a simple white T-shirt. A young boy's face stared back at him from the smooth surface. The face changed. It contorted itself in a grimace before tears flowed down his cheeks, leaving a burning sensation on his pale skin. Pain flared up in his chest.

He stumbled away from the mirror towards the door. As he passed through, he found himself in another hallway. The warm colours on the wall clashed with the sounds coming from the room. The front door was in pieces. Sam walked into the room and saw a cyclops standing there with a fireball in hand. An arrow pierced his chest, but the monster threw the projectile at his assailant.

Another cyclops emerged from behind an overturned couch and approached a small child, armed with nothing but a sharp pencil. She let out a scream before throwing her weapon at the monster. With an inhuman howl, the monster fell down and clawed at his eye.

As the second monster prepared himself, energy filled the room. The monster stood still for a moment, before his head fell on the floor with a thud. Sam saw a copy of himself standing in the doorway, arms raised before casting another spell.

His clone fell to his knees and moved towards the girl who had fallen unconscious. The monsters vanished in clouds of gold dust. Sam cried as he saw himself comforting the girl, Sarah. He refused to look at his foster parents who had given their life for their daughter.

Sam ran out of the room and found himself standing outside.

'Sam, are you alright?'

He turned around and blinked a few times. A headache slammed into him. He let out a groan. It was a silver-haired girl who had called out his name.

'It was a dream, Hunter, or memories, I don't know. My head hurts.'

'Hecate told us about the headaches. I'll get you an aspirin. Get back to bed.'

She vanished back into a large tent that was put up on the edge of a patch of forestland. He turned around and spotted the sea. Large waves crashed onto the shoreline.

'Take this.'

Hunter held out two pills and a bottle of water. 'Anything new?'

Sam swallowed the tablets and shook his head before taking a sip. 'Old memories, buried ones.'

'Get some sleep, we'll think about those tomorrow.' She dragged him back into the tent and threw a blanket at him. 'You'll be having those moments for another couple of days. It's the undoing of the Mist that is working.'

Sam only nodded, not wanting to close his eyes again. Heat burned in his chest.


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28 Pressure**

The energy seemed to come from inside him, flowing from his chest to his fingertips. Sam threw a card into the sand. The five of diamonds lit up and a red barrier blocked Cate's arrow mid-air. He swung his sword in a circle around him to force his attackers back, but they remained standing three feet away from him.

'Why did I agree to do this again?' he panted.

'Quickest way to relearn lost instincts and skills,' replied George raising his warhammer.

'I get that, but three on one?' he asked the granddaughter of Poseidon who brandished a pair of daggers for a change.

Cali only shrugged as she advanced with one blade meant for attack. She brought the first blade down.

Sam managed to swat away the blade with his sword, but the second one slammed straight into his shield. The impact forced him to lower his shield, which left him open to attack by George. The son of the Blacksmith trusted his hammer into his side. Sam let out a groan as he fell down. Within seconds he felt cold silver on his neck and a grinning Cali crouching over him.

'I surrender,' said Sam dropping the sword. George helped him back on his feet.

The four friends regrouped and took a seat in the shady part of the arena as they shared water and nectar.

'How did I do?' Sam asked.

'You have to train one on one to become better with a sword,' said Cali. 'You are using that thing like a club.'

'The shield was a nice one. I didn't see any markings in the sand like last time.'

Sam nodded. 'John and Suzan have been over some basic enchantments with me these past few days. I managed to seal a couple of spells and enchantments into the cards. Diamonds are easier for defensive magic.'

'How about some more target practice?' asked Cate. 'I'll use blunted arrows.' The daughter of Hermes wore a pair of jeans with her camp shirt. Her arms and hands were protected by a pair of leather and Celestial bronze gauntlets.

'Sure,' replied Sam. 'Cali, are you free tomorrow? I could use some sword practice.'

'Yeah, but it will have to be somewhere after lunch.'

'Okay, say three?'

'Deal.'

The four took another sip of nectar after which Cali and George left for classes. Cate picked up her bow and placed a quiver at her feet. From her pouch she pulled a strip of cloth.

'A blindfold?' Sam took a small step back.

Cate nodded. 'You wanted a challenge, I'll give you one. I'll fire exactly twenty arrows. The objective is to deflect or evade all twenty. Without your sight, you'll have to rely on your other senses. I will signal the first arrow. If you get hit, I will give you ten seconds to recover.'

'Okay. Trick shots included?'

'Of course,' replied Cate.

Cate blindfolded Sam before dressing him up with a thick leather shirt. She told him that magic shields were allowed if they weren't permanent. Fully dressed, she ordered him to walk thirty paces away from her to the centre of the arena.

Once there, Sam turned around and faced what he thought was Cate's direction. 'Ready,' he shouted.

'Arrow flies in five seconds,' was the reply.

Sam raised his sword and his other hand as he mumbled a shield spell, but held it back to just deflect the arrow. The five seconds had passed. Before Sam could even flinch, a thud resonated against his left thigh. Dull pain spread out as the arrow fell into the sand. Sam let out a grunt.

'Ten seconds,' shouted Cate.

Sam ignored his own heartbeat that was drumming in his ears and repositioned himself so that his sword covered most of his upper body. Sam raised a small shield in his hand, about a foot in diameter to protect his lower body. With three seconds remaining, Sam focused on whatever he could hear and feel.

A second and third arrow hit him on the hand and arm respectively. Sam let out a yelp as she retracted his blade and lost the shield. Sam panted as he tried to think of a strategy.

He regained his stance for a second or two before another arrow hit him square in the chest. Sam gasped for air as he staggered backwards. Trying to steady himself, Sam lost track of time and he fell down after two arrows crashed into his foot and prosthetic knee. Counting down he got back up and started swinging his sword into the empty air in front of him.

An arrow hit his blade, which got his hopes up. A metallic sound resonated for a moment before Sam felt the arrow strike him square in the back of his shoulder. He reacted by making his swings longer and going further around. He raised another shield his hand by clasping a diamond king in his fist. Sam felt the card crumple, forcing the magic out. With his mind's eye, Sam drew a square with a circle around the fist.

As the time elapsed, Sam regained some of his focus as magic ran through his body. Focussing on Cate, he heard a slight thwack sound. The sound of a bow string snapping back. Sam sidestepped and placed his shield in front of his body. The arrow crashed into his shield, but the second one landed against his foot, causing him to let out another grunt.

'Halfway,' shouted Cate.

Sam nodded slightly, as to not break his concentration. He listened to the arena and managed to hear another two arrows being fired off in rapid succession. He deflected the first one ever so slightly, while the other one slammed into his back shoulder again.

Cate only grinned as she saw her friend move his arms around ever so slowly as to anticipate her attacks. She released another volley of two arrows, both aiming for his shins. Sam let out a frustrated yell as they knocked him down again. She waited exactly ten seconds and fired the next one straight into his left butt cheek as he tried getting back up. Once back on his feet, she knocked the sword out of his hand by firing at his hand with a lobbed arrow. As he cursed, she readied another one to shoot at his chest. By a small chance, he deflected that one with the small shield.

To finish of her self-indulging game, she loaded and launched the three remaining arrows in the air to make them near misses to give Sam some much needed confidence. As the projectiles soared through the air, Cate spotted Sam standing perfectly still, directly in the path of one of the arrows. Even with the blunted tip, the arrow could cause serious damage if it landed on his head.

'Move!' Cate shouted.

Before she could even flinch, the sensation of heat slammed into her. A pulse shattered the arrows in the air. Suddenly Cate stared at a wall of fire speeding towards her. Moments before the fire would reach her, it vanished.

The daughter of Hermes blinked and saw Sam lying down in the sand with a broad figure standing next to him. She crawled onto her feet and ran over to Sam.

'John? What happened?' she asked.

The bearded and muscular mage stared at her. 'He just froze and unleashed a wave of energy. It filled with fire magic. I knocked him out. Has he shown any lapses today?'

'None, we've been training for most of the day. He asked for it, as he wanted something else but magic practice. We've done this exercise before and he's always managed to keep his cool.'

'He's done for today,' replied John as he lifted up the lifeless body of his younger brother.

* * *

'Why does my body ache all over?' Sam asked no one in particular as he blinked away the blurry vision.

'Because you played pincushion with Cate and John had to knock you out,' came the reply.

Sam turned to the voice and saw a boy lying the bed next to his. He was athletic, but not very muscular. He shot him a broad smile that made his brown eyes stand out.

'Are you hurt?' Sam asked. Words and images came floating in his mind. It was Damien White, son of Nemesis.

'Dislocated a shoulder during wrestling. Got to stay another night. You were covered in bruises when Helen stripped you, are you alright? John mentioned a black out.'

'I'm fine, D,' replied Sam. 'It was another memory that came back. A bad one.'

'Want to share?'

'Not really.'

'Want to play a card game?'

'Got money?'

'Always have some of yours,' grinned Damien.

'Jackass.'

The boys managed to get the retractable table out and played a couple of rounds of War before the door flew open and Damien dropped his cards.

'Told you guys they would be okay,' said Cate with a grin. Rain, Cali, Eve and George all entered the room as well. Rain and Cate took a seat on their respective beds, while George and Cali sat on Damien's.

Sam saw their faces and connected names and memories to them. Cate had her red hair shortened to the shoulders which made her eyes stand out more. Rain still had that beautiful face with short black hair that made every guy look at her.

George had oil stains on his face and his hair was darkened by the soot. As always he was dressed in pants with many pockets. He and Jesse were now a thing. Eve was dressed in her hospital scrubs and had her hair in a braid.

The last person was easier to remember. Her pale complexion and black hair gave her brown eyes an eerier look. With her armour on, she didn't look like the funny girl he knew, she rather looked like a girl who could kill you with a single stare.

'So what's happening?' asked George polishing a bronze ring.

'We were playing War and I was winning for a change,' replied Damien with a pout.

'How was class?'

'Nothing much. Nobody was really paying attention as news about the coming war was updated. They think Typhon is back on the table and so is Kampê,' said Rain. 'More training is being scheduled with the Hephaestus campers working around the clock forging weapons.'

'That sounds ominous.'

'It is. It seems you were right about Nyx never abandoning her plan to attack the demigod community,' said Cali. 'The War Council has asked to form squads of seven people for the next major battle. Each squad needs at least one medic and an archer. Leaders are to be named before dinner Friday night.'

'That's in two days' time,' replied Sam.

'We know,' said Rain.

'That's not a lot of time.'

'We know.'

'Why are you all here?'

'Because we want you to lead our squad.'

Sam snorted. 'Yeah right, me.'

'Rain isn't joking around, Sam,' said Cate softly. 'We've all seen you fight with an axe and magic. We need you on the battlefield.'

Sam looked at each of his friends in the eye. They all acknowledged the fact. 'You guys can't be serious,' he pleaded. 'I am a walking time bomb. Cate, you've seen what happens when things go south. Cali, you ought to remember what happens when magic is uncontrolled.'

Cali gave him a stormy glare. 'Of course I remember, Sam. You burned me with fire. It sucked big time, but it healed perfectly. You will learn to control magic again, because they are teaching you again. And with Hestia's blessing, fire cannot hurt us.'

'I don't have time to learn,' Sam snapped back. 'And I no longer have Hestia's blessing. It vanished with the Mist manipulation.'

'Then you learn new skills,' argued Rain fiercely. 'We'll drill it into you. Archery, hand-to-hand, swords, daggers, knives, poisons, axes, strategy, whatever works. We are on a clock here, gods damnit.' The daughter of love gave her group a hard look. 'If needed, I can make you.'

'No,' said George. 'You agreed to not charmspeak us.'

'Guys, I appreciate the confidence you have in me, but it just won't work. I am not leadership material at the moment.' Sam crossed his arms in front of him. 'You'll have to pick someone else.'

'Fine,' muttered Cate. 'We will each join other squads. At least Eve is in high demand, healer and archer in one.'

'Oh great, now I can hear that again for an entire evening,' exasperated Eve. The daughter of Apollo played around with her braid.

The group made their way to the door. Eventually the boys were alone again, but neither was in the mood for another game.


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter 29 One Step At a Time**

As he studied his notebook, Sam realized that it was really quiet in the library. Normally there would be at least one child of Athena lightly sobbing about homework, books and battle strategy. However, that Friday, Sam heard nothing but pages being turned and books being shelved by Dixon, the child of Athena who was also the librarian.

'You are not that easy to find. Never guessed you would be in here,' someone whispered behind him.

Sam turned around as his heart rate spiked. He found her standing there with a broad smile on her face. Her tanned skin perfectly blended in with her brown hair which contained a feather and a different coloured streak of hair. Her eyes shifted colour as the lighting changed around her.

Piper McLean took a seat next to the son of Hecate and stared at the myriad of sheets of paper lying in front of him. Arrows, diagrams and words were mashed together on the paper. Looking at Sam, Piper realized that he looked tired.

'That's why I am here,' replied Sam.

'For two days straight. Lou caught you snacking in the middle of the night at the cabin,' replied Piper. 'Are you hiding?'

'What gives it away?' He tried giving her a look that said "Well duh."

'Don't try to sass me, young one. It doesn't work,' said the twenty five year old daughter of Aphrodite with a smile. 'Sarcasm doesn't suit you.'

'Look, P… P… I cannot remember your name, but you were there in Vegas. And you are in my notebook too.' Sam waved the notebook at her.

'I am hurt,' said Piper jokingly. 'Piper McLean, daughter of Aphrodite, member of the Seven. We've met before.'

The awkward silence between them was filled the noise of rustling paper and Dixon shelving books.

'Not to be rude, but why are you here, Piper? You probably have better things to do than to babysit me.'

Piper shrugged. 'Actually I don't, so can I help with anything? You seem quite puzzled about things.'

'I have lots of things written down that don't make sense.'

'Such as?'

'Cali and I were lovers of sorts? I have this vivid memory of us breaking up on the beach of this camp, but I was with Jesse before the exile and now, she and George have found each other. Which is great, because I couldn't really remember who Jesse was anyway, but then why do I feel so lost?'

'Maybe because you don't have all the information. Mind if I take a look?'

'Go ahead.' Sam scooted his chair away from his large overview.

Piper stared at it intently and recognized names and people. 'Mind if I write some stuff down?'

'Nope.'

Piper picked up a red pen and added arrows and words. 'This list you have here, these people are all mages from Hecate. Any memories you haven't assigned or placed yet?

'These.' Sam showed her the post-it markings in is notebook.

Piper glanced over them. 'Those two belong there. I have heard about the skills exhibition you Hecate folk have each year. That description seems to be Lou when she's really mad.'

Sam scribbled down a reference for later. 'Anything else?'

'This list are the Seven, if I read: "the chick with the feather" as myself.' Piper grinned at Sam's face turning red. 'And yes, this is Annabeth. The girl who you met when you first arrived at camp, also the second time, she was the Sphinx and she's a mean mythology teacher. But that is wrong, Jason and I are no longer a couple.'

'Oh, sorry about that.'

'Not a problem, we've kept up appearances for a long time,' replied Piper absentmindedly staring at the paper. 'This is your sister.'

Sam read the words. _Laughter, Pencils, Hurt, pleading for her safety to gods?_

'You pleaded for her safety to her grandfathers, Hermes and Apollo. The pencils are a mystery to me, but obviously they mean something to you.'

'Thanks for the help.'

'No problem. Say, Sam, why are you hiding out in the library? It's not as if you'll find all the answers in here,' said Piper with a wavy gesture at the books.

'I need some place to think on my own for a while. And it's pretty difficult to do that when you have a lot of people watching you like a hawk to make sure you do not lose control.'

'They're just trying to help,' said Piper.

'I know, but then everyone assumes I will become better and go to lead an army to victory. I am not a natural born leader.'

'Best leaders never are.'

'And nobody can truly understand what it is like to live to separate lives in your head every day. I have memories, words and images showing me conflicting things, you know? Everybody expects me to be this amazing warrior, but the truth is I can barely wake up without me thinking if this is all real.'

'I understand quite a bit of that actually. You seem to know that Jason and I are a couple, yet I have told you we are no longer one. And we haven't been for a while now. You know why?'

Sam shook his head.

Piper showed him a sad smile. 'Because every ounce of love I had for him was the result of a Mist manipulation. When he and Percy got swapped by Hera/Juno, I was given memories of knowing him and even being his girlfriend. With the war against Gaea I never truly thought about it. Even when going to college, I remained convinced.'

Piper wiped away a tear. 'It was the year you came to camp, I actually started thinking about it all. How we both couldn't remember how we met before the bus, how everything we thought we knew was a lie concocted by Hera and supported by my mother.'

'That's cold. At least I knew where I was getting into. I whooped Zeus' royal butt and got it back immediately.'

Piper nodded with a muffled laugh. 'You take no prisoners in your rage.'

'I am sorry for making you cry and reveal your stuff with Aphrodite and Juno,' said Sam fiddling with a pen.

'You're not good at apologizing, are you?' said Piper with shiny eyes. She gave him a hug.

'Nah.' He hugged her back.

'Eye contact and touch help,' said the daughter of Aphrodite. 'Now, how are you going to win back Caliope?'

'Wh…What?'

'Don't even think of denying it, Sam. You love her, memories or not. Do not forget I am a daughter of Aphrodite after all.' She shot him a smile.

'I know,' sighed Sam. 'But we did break up and it was mostly her idea.'

'And why was that?'

'Because I felt sorry for me. About this thing, my dad, being a demigod.'

'Do you still feel sorry?'

Sam shook his head. 'I feel stronger because of it. I was never to blame for the death of my father or my parents. Neither was Sarah. It all happened, because shit happens to people.'

'That's true,' replied Piper. 'We've all been through some rough patches.'

'Can I ask you for a favour?'

'Sure.'

'Want to help me with something?'

Half an hour later Piper and Sam stood by the hearth fire at the centre of the cabins. They watched the sheets of paper curling up as they blackened.

'Are you sure about this?'

'It's time to let the past be the past. Let the gods enjoy my misery.' Sam threw in the notebooks. 'I am hungry.'

'Then let's get some dinner.' Piper offered him an arm. Sam linked his through hers and together they strolled towards the dinning pavilion.

Nobody watched the notebooks burn to a crisp.

* * *

They sat on the seats above the arena watching at the training going on down below. As leaders of both camps, it was one of the few moments they could talk quietly. Reyna had shadow travelled to Half-Blood with Nico as to be incognito as possible. Annabeth had given the praetor a bite of ambrosia and a glass of water when they appeared in the war room, also known as the ping pong room of the Big House.

'I heard he has changed,' started Reyna. 'He seems calmer.'

Annabeth nodded. 'Piper found him sitting in the library. They eventually burned his notes in the hearth. She won't say much more. Ever since then, he's been training and studying. And his siblings tell me he's getting better with new magic every day.'

'Is he ready for battle? The full moon is on the horizon and the gods have felt Typhon and Kampê rise.'

'He's as ready as the rest of us, Reyna,' sighed Annabeth. 'We've been training the new recruits, but they won't hold up in actual war. We made the decision to keep them at camp with the young ones and a couple of older demigods.'

'It's for the best. Most of the Legion is battle ready, but we have our fair share of inexperienced recruits.'

They watched Sam and his squad face off against one another. He was locked in combat with Caliope who managed to deflect all of his strikes. Cali used her water powers to smite Sam with a torrent of water, yet the mage remained steadfast. He used his staff split the water and threw a fire ball at her head that she barely managed to block with her shield. George called it quits when Cali had steam rising from her shield. The teammates shook hands and strolled over to the shade.

'You think he would like to spar with someone who's better with a sword?' asked Reyna with a grin.

'He'd revel at the opportunity,' replied Annabeth with an equal grin.

* * *

They all took a sip of nectar while gearing up for the next part of training. Sam ran his hand through his fresh buzz cut, courtesy of the Aphrodite cabin. Turned out they had been running an entire beauty salon out of their cabin. Ashley, the chief hairdresser, had seemed a little disappointed in his choice, but did tell him that a buzz cut worked very well on him.

'The haircut suits you,' said Cali. 'Reminds me of the time I had to ask for one too.'

'You're never going to let that go are you?' he whined.

'Maybe,' was her reply before she took a bite out of her apple.

The conversations fell silent as the afternoon heat had made them sluggish. Not even the patch of shade was able to cool them off sufficiently. Sam folded up his staff and attached it to the harness on his back. He checked his gauntlet and glove to make sure they still worked accordingly. John had enchanted them for safety.

'I heard you changed. Didn't think you'd go for a new haircut.'

Sam turned his attention to the person standing in front of them. She wore a leather and metal skirt with armoured sandals. Instead of body armour she wore a simple T-shirt and cape that showed her athletic physique. Her black braid only strengthened her regal looking features. Her eyes gave him a playful glare. In her hand she held a golden spear. Her name popped into his mind.

'Reyna,' he muttered. 'Praetor of the Roman Legion. Have you come to gut me again?'

She shrugged. 'Maybe, former legionnaire,' she stressed. 'Heard of your return and changing demeanour. Some speak of progress as a squad leader. I came to see it for myself.'

Sam shook his head. 'I have these demigods to thank for that,' he gestured at his squad members who actively watched something else. 'They tricked me into signing up.'

'Care to give a demonstration of your skills? Maybe I could teach you a thing or two?'

Sam rose to his feet and dusted himself off. 'Name your weapons.'

'Anything goes until one of us surrenders. No maiming. Could we sweeten the deal?' Reyna offered him a grin.

Sam picked up a bronze gladius engraved with magical symbols and inlaid with pure iron. 'Go ahead.' He pulled up the hood of his cloak.

Together they walked to the centre of the arena. Reyna tapped her bracelet and a rectangular shield unfolded itself. She twirled her spear again, making whoosh sounds as Sam made his own Roman styled shield appear from his gauntlet and raised his sword.

'If you win,' said Reyna. 'I'll tell you about Sarah. You must be curious how she's doing, no?'

Sam blinked as he let the remark drift around in his head. Of course he was curious, but she had to be at Jupiter so she had to be safe. The dream had shown him.

'What if you win?' he replied trying to deflect the distraction.

'You have another sparring match at Camp Jupiter with a champion of my choosing. I would love to see you fight at our Colosseum.'

The praetor showed him a grin that reminded him of a wolf. Sam nodded as he tried to decipher the message behind her ferocious smile.

Before another thought could form in his mind, the spear made contact with his shield and Sam skidded across the sand. Pushing down his heavier foot, Sam stopped his momentum. He raised his sword and watched Reyna taking aim with the pointed weapon.

'I never said I'd be fighting fairly,' said Reyna.

'I never expected,' was his shaky reply.

Sam realized that the Roman had the advantage of distance in her favour. Maybe he could close the distance by striking first. He made a move, but Reyna stopped it as soon as he was within reach. After minutes of dancing around, the praetor made a move. She trusted her spear forward in rapid barrage. Sam managed to block a couple of strikes and even deflect one with his sword, but those that landed made him feel bursts of pain.

As Reyna attacked once more, Sam raised his shield. Reyna changed the direction mid thrust and a that moment Sam brought his shield closer. The point grazed his gauntlet, but the shaft got locked between his arm and shield. For moment the air was thick with excitement as both of them realized what happened.

Sam reacted by bringing down his arm and shield, forcing Reyna to do the same or drop the spear. He slammed his sword against the shaft, causing sparks to fly. Reyna pulled on his spear, but only moved closer to Sam. Once she was close enough, Sam redirected a strike from the spear to her, which cause Reyna to raise her shield to block it. Reyna let out a grunt and muttered a word. Suddenly the spear shrank in size and became a golden gladius.

Reyna pushed her shield forward and forced Sam back. They found themselves standing opposite each other with raised shields and covered swords.

'Didn't know you also had a shifting weapon,' said Sam panting. His reinforced shield became heavier by the second.

Reyna shrugged. 'It has its advantages.'

The praetor stabbed at him, yet Sam dodged the strikes and managed to block them. Reyna continued the assault as his movements became slower. Sam muttered an incantation as Reyna retreated for a moment. Shaping the image in his mind, Sam slipped the magic around his legs, praying to Hecate to make it work.

Reyna watched as Sam made his shield vanish and picked a deck of cards from his pouch. He fanned them out in his hand and waved it at her. She spotted the sand moving before the magic slammed against her shield. She gritted her teeth as she stood her ground. Raising her sword she moved towards the mage as he showed her a smirk.

'That's the Sam I remember,' she muttered. She launched an attack. He blocked and deflected. Attacking first, she got pushed back slightly as she watched his movements. He was protecting his legs from attack. As sparks flew and the sound of metal on metal resonated through the air, Reyna spotted an opening. She thrusted her sword to his unprotected human leg for a graze, the right one. As soon as the metal made contact, Reyna felt the shock run down her arm. She clenched the sword handle and tried shaking off the feeling as she backed off. Sam showed her a grin as he waved his cards around. The air shimmered and his right leg shifted into a bronze one while his left turned human again.

'Mist?' she asked him with a raised eyebrow.

Sam nodded still smiling. 'I got better at it after my journey. The shock spell was a nice touch.' He returned the cards into a neat stack in a single motion and clenched the pack into his gloved hand. His gauntlet gained a red aura.

Reyna shook off the tingling sensation in her hand and prepared herself for the next attack. Whilst she had to give him some credit for the neat trick, she could spot him becoming slower and more tired with each passing moment. It was time to finish it. She advanced letting out a bellowing yell as she swung down her sword. Just as she saw Sam raise his fist, she quickly retreated her sword and slammed her shield into his hand. He let out a yelp and dropped the pack onto the arena floor. Channelling her mother's power, Reyna forced her sword back into the spear form. She used Sam's moment of shock to trip him over with the shaft. The next moment she held the point of her weapons an inch from his neck.

Laying sprawled on the sand of the arena, Sam paned heavily as he spotted the shaft running towards his neck. The praetor stood over him, shield lowered.

'I surrender,' he spoke between breaths. Sweat pooled on his brow and under the heavy cloak. His staff poked in his back.

The spear vanished in an instant while her shield returned into the bracelet. A tattooed forearm appeared close by. Sam grabbed it and he was pulled up by the preator.

'Not bad, not bad at all,' said Reyna.

They walked back to the others.

'Some more sword practice and you'll be able to hold off most opponents with it,' said Reyna. 'How was it made? It felt heavy.'

'That's because it is,' said George as he handed them bottles of water. 'We call it Sam's training blade,' he continued as he dodged a punch to the shoulder by the tired mage. 'The top of the blade is slightly broader and denser, making it top-heavy, like an axe.'

Reyna nodded as she drank.

'Seems you're improving,' said Annabeth from the stands. 'I thought she'd pummel you within two minutes. Or did you hold back?' directing the question at Reyna.

'A bit at the beginning, but after that shock thing I was ready to knock your head clean off. That stings,' said Reyna with a slight growl.

'You said anything goes,' said Sam raising his hands defensively. 'That includes magic.'

'I have to admit I wasn't expecting it,' said Cali. 'What happened?'

'He shifted the image of his legs. Made me think his left one was the prosthetic. The magicacly protected prosthetic,' Reyna corrected.

Sam shrugged. 'Misdirection is standard for us mages.'

Reyna only shook her head.


	30. Chapter 30

**AN: The last chapter of arc 4. Next arc will deal with the battle against Nyx.**

* * *

 **Chapter 30 Never Alone**

That night, Hunter Kowalski found herself standing in front of the door of cabin 20. Sam had offered her a place at the dinner table which got her out of gut duty for the night. Hunter had dressed in a simple attire of silvery pants and a black shirt. She knocked and after a few seconds the door creaked open. A blonde teenager, Hunter guessed her to be seventeen or eighteen, gave her a welcoming smile.

'Hi, you must be Hunter.' The mage gestured to come on in.

Hunter passed the threshold and immediately felt the knot in her stomach vanish. A fireplace was in use and the wooden floor and warm colours gave her the feeling that this was to be a home.

'I am Mia,' said the blonde as she guided her further down the cabin.

'This is impressive. Reminds me of Artemis' tents.'

'Same kind of magic,' said Mia. 'Guys, this is Hunter. And she probably heard the Hunter the Hunter jokes a million times already, so don't.'

Hunter stared at the group of people sitting in the couches. She recognized some of Sam's siblings, but also his friends Caliope and Eve.

'Hi.' She gave a small wave to the crowd.

'Welcome, have a seat' greeted Lou as she patted the seat next to her. 'I heard you're the one who kept Sam safe on his journey.'

Hunter took a seat. 'Yeah, I did. Although he did some things too.'

'Did you teach him how to cook?' asked Eve. 'He's cooking tonight.'

Hunter shook her head. 'He told me he learned it at Elysium, the therapy place. Had some great food while trekking.'

'And you'll have more,' came the remark from the back of the room.

Sam appeared with a plate of miniature cornucopia's. 'The snacks. We have cream cheese, tomato, olive tapenade and bacon bits. And please help yourself to some Cheetos.' He shot her a grin pointing at the bowl of chips on the table.

Hunter let out a chuckle. Lou and Eve gave her a puzzled look. 'Inside joke.'

The evening progressed as Hunter talked with Sam's siblings and friends about life as a Hunter and how Sam was during the trip. Hunter and Charlotte found a lot of tendencies shared by the mages , to the annoyance of Lou who was silenced by Charlotte with the last cornucopia. Eventually Sam called them to the table where he had displayed several dishes.

'We have roasted chicken with a salt and herb coating for the non-vegetarians and a eggplant and blue cheese quiche for the vegetarians. Mashed potatoes and string beans prepared in butter as side dishes,' rambled Sam. 'For dessert we have slightly charred chocolate cake. The quiche also has a burnt side taste,' he said with a shy smile.

'Wow, Sam,' said Jade. 'This is amazing.'

Everybody took a seat and helped themselves.

'Could I get some snack sized variant of the chicken?' said Cali. 'This is delicious.'

'The quiche is really good, and you don't really taste the burnt parts,' said Charlotte.

'True,' said Jade.

Sam fiddled with his napkin as he took in the compliments.

* * *

After the cake and some tea and coffee, Sam's friends said their goodbyes. Cali and Sam lingered for a moment before he closed the door.

'You're still into her,' said John with a smile.

'Am not,' Sam huffed.

'Yes, you are,' said Hunter. 'Should've invited her over to help with the cake. Nice and romantic.'

'Very funny, Hunter.' He continued by sticking out his tongue and lobbing a Cheeto at her head.

Hunter dodged it and gave him a glare. 'No wasting the Cheetos.' This got her a round of chuckles form the mages. 'No, seriously, we can't have junk food in the Hunters. I need to get every piece of it when I can.'

'That sucks,' said Ronan taking another bite of cake.

'Yes, it does. But running through the wild and waking up with awesome scenery is always a bonus,' responded Hunter with a smile. 'And you get to keep clueless people safe.' The room fell silent.

'For Hades' sake, I get it,' moaned Sam. 'I am not that clueless on my own. I can cook food!'

This got him a look from his eldest siblings. 'We heard about the tent. And the splinter,' said Suzan with a sly smile.

Sam's eyes grew wide. 'You promised to never tell!'

'She guessed,' laughed Hunter as she evaded a cushion which landed on the table, causing a plate to go flying. It crashed into pieces which caused Hunter to stop in a flinch. She shrank into her seat.

'You okay, hon?' said Lou.

Hunter nodded as her breathing became heavier. Images flashed before her eyes. Tears stung in the corners of her eyes. Suddenly she felt arms wrapping around her.

'You're safe, Hunter,' spoke Suzan comfortingly. 'Just breathe.'

Hunter freed herself from the hug and ran thought he door, ignoring Sam calling after her.

* * *

He found her at the beach, sitting by a self-made fire. He approached her.

'You alright?' he asked.

Hunter nodded. 'Needed some time to calm down.'

Sam took a seat next to her and together they listened to the sound of crashing waves. He pulled out something from his pouch. The bag crinkled.

Hunter let out a laugh. 'You brought Cheetos,' said Hunter with a smile as she opened it.

'These always work. Got a piece of cake too.'

'You're a doofus.'

Sam shrugged. 'I know.'

They ate the Cheetos while staring at the horizon and the stars.

'It was my stepdad who caused it,' said Hunter moving her silver hair out of her face.

'You don't have to…'

'I have to tell someone eventually,' she interrupted. 'After my dad died, my mom remarried and at first he was nice and cool. But after a few years he became dark. Back then I was a gymnast and competed in some big competitions. My mom and he came to watch. At first it was nice to see them at the gatherings, but eventually he became angry if I didn't reach any of the goals he would set for me.

After a couple of months, he had persuaded my mother to join his pushy attitude. Together they sucked the fun out of it. It became a source of tension at home which turned violent. They'd shout at me, throw food at me and he'd even throw plates at my head as he forced me to do a handstand against the wall.

It still spooks me to this day. After one too many arguments, I collected every penny I could find, stuffed my things in a backpack and ran. Then one night, I was wandering in a national park when I stumbled across the Hunters. Artemis took me in and since then I am one of her maidens.'

'That a bummer. Sounds your stepdad could use an arrow to the balls.'

Hunter snorted. 'I'd string him up like a wild boar and stuff an apple in his mouth for him to choke on.'

Sam gave her a friendly shoulder hug. 'I'm there if you need to talk, I know a thing or two about bad shit, mortal or not.'

'Thanks, Cook.'

'No problem.'

Together they stared at the crashing waves.

'Sam,' started Hunter. 'Why aren't you at Jupiter with Sarah? You know she would be happy to see you. You went after the gods for her.'

He sighed. 'I can't, Hunter. I have been thinking about it, but I am not sure she wants to see me.' Sam drew lines in the sand with a branch.

'You are her big brother,' continued Hunter. 'Of course she'd be happy to see you.'

Sam snapped the branch in half. 'I can't,' he muttered.

'Why not?' Hunter handed him the bag of Cheetos.

'Because I'm afraid she blames me for…for the death of our parents, her parents,' Sam spoke wiping his eyes. 'Nyx came after me because I am Sam, the Slayer of Pandora. She saw me as a liability to her plans and decided to hurt those I care about. They died because of me and my stupid reputation.'

Sam stared at the fire and felt the heat rise in his chest. He stood up and walked away before he made the fire move with his will. Instead he tried pushing back the waves. He felt Hunter put a hand on his shoulder.

'You don't need to carry this weight on your own, Sam. You've got friends and family to help you whoop Nyx' butt into oblivion. And you've got me, Hunter the Hunter to watch your six. You demigods get cocky.'

'How delightful,' spoke a voice from behind them. The voice was full of hate.

The friends turned around and saw a woman stand next to the fire. She wore a blackened crown and a simple brown dress. Two different coloured eyes stared at them.

'Impossible,' muttered Sam staggering back into the surf. 'You're dead. Hope skewered you, Pandora.'

'I was dead,' spat Pandora glaring at Sam. 'Nyx helped me in exchange for my abilities. I will raze Camp Half Blood to the ground and then we march onto Olympus.' Pandora grinned. 'And I will make this mortal one my personal servant.' Pandora nodded at Hunter.

'You won't lay a hand on her,' growled Sam readying a playing card in his hand.

'Or what? Will you come after me? Maybe we ought to go after someone else, Sarah is her name, isn't it?' Pandora cocked her head to the side. 'The lovely girl who was saved by Circe.'

'Touch her, and I'll disembowel you with the bluntest knife I can find,' threatened Sam flashing the card. The Jack of spades.

'I'll turn you into a pin cushion if you move,' said Hunter as she nocked an arrow on his bow.

'I must go, but heed my words: We will prevail and Olympus will fall.'

'Enough of this,' spoke a young voice from the fire. 'Be gone from this home, you vile creature.' The flames grew bigger and a flaming girl walked out of it. She pushed through Pandora who's image flickered before vanishing.

The flames dissipated. The girl turned to the friends and gave them a warm smile. 'Come to the fire children and have a marshmallow.'

'Lady Hestia?' asked Hunter as she took a seat next to the fire and watched the marshmallows getting toasted.

The girl stared at her with red eyes and nodded. 'Hestia will do, Hunter. I am not so fond of titles.'

'I thought you didn't like to be confrontational,' said Sam warming his hands on the fire.

'I truly don't like it, but every once in a while a little action can be so freeing,' replied the goddess. 'But let's talk about you, shall we?'

Sam gave her a slight panicked look.

'You are not scared to meet up with Sarah,' said Hestia. 'You are scared that she won't blame you for your parents demise.'

'I…,' muttered Sam.

'You are afraid that she will have forgiven you, but why does it scare you so much?' Hestia poked up the fire with a stick

Sam stared at the fire as the feeling of focus spread through his body. 'Because I haven't forgiven myself yet.'

'You're still filled with anger, anger directed at yourself. You need to let it go or let it out,' advised Hestia.

'I will,' said Sam.

'When?' enquired Hunter.

'The moment I drive a blade through Nyx' heart. Just as she vanishes into nothing, she will know who ended her reign,' said Sam as his gaze darkened. 'And I'll take it out on anyone standing in my way.'

'That's pretty dark, Sam,' said Hestia. 'I will not stop you if you really want this, but maybe you could use your strengths for something better.'

'She's right, Cook. Maybe you ought to give everyone a decent meal before we go to war,' said Hunter with a shrug. 'The food you made was delicious.'

Sam stared at the two. 'I guess.'

'You ought to keep her, Sam, she's wise.'

Hunter let out a laugh. 'At last, someone recognises it.'

'Don't flatter yourself too much, Miss I-burned-the-soup,' said Sam pointing a marshmallow at Hunter.

'That happened once! Give me that, you don't deserve such good food.'

Hunter snatched the snack from his stick and stuffed it into her mouth and chomped down. Sam let out a yell of protest and shoved Hunter. But the girl had braced herself and shoved him back, causing him to fall into the sand.

Hestia let out a laugh which got her a hurt look from Sam while Hunter grinned.

'That's not funny,' muttered Sam as he replaced the marshmallow with another one.

Hestia only smiled. 'I must go back to Olympus, war is coming soon. Maybe this will help in the upcoming battle.'

Hestia sang a tune. A flame danced around the two friends before dashing off into the darkness over the sea. The flame grew and a faint glowing outline became visible.

'What is that?' asked Hunter.

'An opportunity,' said Sam as he stared at the glowing outline of the mecha.


	31. Chapter 31

**AN: The first chapter of the fifth arc is here! Enjoy.**

* * *

 **Chapter 31 All Bets Are Off**

The Greek demigods who were to travel to Camp Jupiter for the upcoming battle had gathered at the dining pavilion for the final checks. Armour and weapons were distributed to those without, while the squad leaders were being briefed on the final tactics. The younger demigods would remain at camp with a couple of older Roman and Greek demigods for protection.

'Lou and Charlotte have decided to remain at Half-Blood,' said Sam reading his notes. 'Harley deems it unsafe for them to be on the battlefield. They will help with the younger children.'

'I shall remain as well,' announced Chiron solemnly to the War Council. 'The next generation will lead us against Nyx.'

Annabeth and Percy nodded. 'That leaves us with a group of thirty demigods and legion veterans to protect the campers in case the barrier and the Parthenos fail, I hope that that will do.'

'We need most of our troops at Jupiter,' said Charlotte with Frank nodding in agreement. 'Nyx has amassed an army in the streets of San Francisco, latest scouting messages suggest it is moving towards Jupiter. Fortifications have been built and the Legion is ready.'

Frank picked up the explanation. 'We assume Nyx will go for the hills around camp for her initial assault. We've set up a defensive perimeter to block any incoming attack from that side. The main entrance has also been guarded by veterans. We'd like to strengthen that with archers and a squad.'

'Alright, that leaves us with six squads to reinforce the legion for the full on battle,' said Clarisse. 'Most squads are well balanced, but I'd stick my squad on the front as we're mostly going for the heavy assault.'

'Is that the squad that has John in it?' asked Charlotte.

The leader for Ares nodded with a grin. 'And six other heavy armed brawlers.'

'The remaining squads are led by Nico, Percy, Piper, Laila, myself and Sam,' started Annabeth. 'Nico will focus on guerrilla tactics from the shadows, Percy will use the elements in our favour, Piper and I will offer assistance to the legion, while Laila is going to be using every asset she has to disrupt the enemy tactics. Sam and his crew are our wild cards, as they will be used all over.'

'The final plan is to get me close enough to Nyx and let me do my thing,' said Sam. 'Nyx is still focused on bringing her original plan to a close, which means going after me, Percy and Annabeth. It's our job to keep her busy until her army is defeated and then she's mine.'

'If we get the chance,' said Frank. 'Stick to the plan until it's time.'

Sam nodded.

'The engineers have been drilled in the fast repairs of all siege engines, catapults and other machinery that will aid us in battle,' said Leo. 'They will also be the ones to man them during the battle.'

'Too bad the mecha was unsalvageable,' said Frank. 'It would've helped.'

'If we could get it out of the ocean, it would be nice.'

'Getting diverted, boys,' said Charlotte. 'The Hunters and Amazons have agreed to be our support and archery division. The Hunters will be placed in strategic locations to offer long range cover for the squads and main forces. The Amazons are placed in squads and the main assault force according to skills, with a portion being transported to the medical team, which will operate from behind the frontline. The medical team will be guided by Joanne Harley and her medical staff. They will also provide the squad medics with the first-aid kits.'

'Each kit will have the standard first-aid material such as bandages, disinfectant, sterile gauzes, ambrosia and nectar,' said Harley. 'Each medic will also carry twelve vials like these.' She placed a round vial on the table filled with red liquid and a square blue one. 'Red is a potion with morphine and unicorn draught in it, it'll heal minor injuries in a couple of minutes, even when poured on the wound. Blue is a recipe with nectar and will replenish the energy. Courtesy of Aria, Calypso and Lou Ellen.'

'You give us a health potion and mana potion?' asked Percy with a grin.

Harley simply shrugged.

Suddenly the meeting was interrupted by John McMiller. The mage wore his heavy cloak with armour underneath and had his broadsword strapped to his back.

'Mind if I borrow the little guy? He's needed at the mages' table.' John used his thumb to point at the table where all the mages were sharing a last meal.

'He's heard all the plans and since he's one of your lot, he probably won't follow them, so go ahead,' waved Annabeth.

John pulled Sam with him to the table occupied by cabin 20.

All eight mages were present, seven of them wearing dark coloured cloaks, Circe wore a white cloak with green and silver runes on it. All of them carried at least one weapon.

'I called you all here because I won't to keep an eye on you on the battlefield,' said Lou with a small smile as she rubbed her belly. 'But that doesn't mean I cannot get you prepared.' She lifted a piece of cloth from the table and revealed the contents.

'I made extra energy potions for all of you. I added a special ingredient for each of you. They will grant you a magic boost for a exactly three minutes,' Lou explained handing out the small vials with wax seals. 'For Mia I have these.' Lou gave her bronze plaques. 'Enchanted shin guards. They will help with air magic.'

The elemental mage shot her a grateful look. 'Thanks.'

'Jade, take this.' Lou handed her a silver knife, hers. 'I gave it a couple of alchemical baths. It will never leave you side.'

'Lou, you can't,' said Jade studying the blade.

'I just did, besides, you will have to give it back to me after the battle.' Lou shot her a smile blinking heavily.

'Ronan, the helmet is yours. Feline transformations will be easier when you wear it. You should be able to see better in the dark when wearing it.' Lou tossed the helmet to the animal mage who slipped it on silently.

Lou turned to her eldest mortal siblings. 'We've been through wars before, you two don't need any more help with weapons and shields. So I give you these.' She handed each of them a very small vial holding a black liquid. 'These contain a single dose of Flood. Take it as a last resort to gain a tremendous amount of magical power. You will be drained for two hours after the use, so make it count.'

'We don't get that?' asked Sam.

'You guys aren't ready for it, especially you.' Lou threw him a playful glare. 'I give you these instead.' She produced a pair of black gloves. Silver alchemical circles were embroidered on the back of the hand. 'Snap your fingers using your thumb.'

Sam pulled on a single glove and snapped his fingers. Sparks flew across his palm and formed a flame. He balled his hand into a fist and the flame went out.

'Thanks Lou.'

Lou turned to Circe who gave her a smile. 'You're not even curious, are you?'

'It's your sword. I can sense the potions and enchantments you gave it. But I won't need it, because I won't join you on the battlefield against Nyx.'

The mages shot their immortal sister a look.

'I will guard Camp Half-Blood from anything getting past the border. And I won't need a sword for that.' Circe made a flame appear in the palm of her hand. 'I am a goddess of magic, so I will fight like one.'

'We could use you,' said Mia.

'Nyx is too powerful for me, Mia. I am but a minor goddess, not a Primordial like Nyx. Not even the Olympians would be able to defeat her in a one on one battle. Only a Protogenoi can defeat her.' Circe let out a sigh.

'We'll figure it out,' said John squeezing her hand. 'You better keep her safe.' The eldest son of Hecate nodded at Lou. 'You know how active she gets.'

'Shut up, Francis,' snapped Lou.

John only laughed. Soon his siblings all joined him in a nervous round of chuckles and snickers.

Chiron called for a final moment to say goodbye. The mages said their goodbyes before joining their respective squads. Lou and Charlotte guided the little ones to the hospital as the medical temple would serve as their base.

The Greek army stood in front of a wooden archway. Symbols were etched in the wood. Sam and Suzan spoke the words that made them light up. In rows of five, the troops walked through the portal that would lead them to Camp Jupiter. Those capable of flying pegasi took off as the army vanished.

'You guys ready?' Sam turned to the voice and spotted a pale looking son of Hades staring at him. Nico carried his Stygian swords and wore black armour.

'Yes sir,' said Suzan with a mock salute.

Nico grabbed their shoulders and they vanished in a shadow.

Circe and Chiron watched it all unfold as the sun rose to its high point.

* * *

They stepped out of the shadow of Janus' temple.

Sam staggered off and threw up as the world seemed to spin around. His arm itched. The acid taste filled his mouth as his breakfast came out again.

'Hades be damned, I'm never doing that again,' he spat.

Nico offered him a bottle of water. 'It gets better if you do it more often.'

Sam tried shooting him a glare, but the son of Hades gave him a chuckle in return.

The Greeks grouped off into squads and teams. Sam joined his friends as John went to find Clarisse.

'You guys ready?' he asked.

Six armoured and armed demigods nodded. All of them wore a Greek helmet, but Damien, George and Cali wore metal armour, while Cate, Eve and Rain were wearing reinforced leather armour. Each of them carried a knife as a back-up weapon.

'Are you?' asked Cali.

'As I'll ever be,' Sam replied with a sigh. He rubbed his itching arm.

Suddenly the sound of marching troops filled the air. Twelve heavy armoured legionnaires appeared from down the hill. All of them carried their throwing spear and scutum. They dispersed to form a circle around Sam's crew.

From the group of legionnaires stepped Reyna Ramirez. She was dressed in a shining armour with her purple cape that glittered in the sun. The praetor shot him an apologetic look from under her helmet.

'Sam Parker, step forward,' she spoke neutrally.

Sam removed his hood and stared at the twelve legionnaires standing around his crew. He shook off Cali's hand and stepped way from his squad. The Romans moved to surround him and Reyna.

'What is the meaning of this, Reyna?' asked Annabeth who had pushed her way to the scene.

Reyna shook her head to silence the daughter of Athena. 'By the word of the Senate and of the holy Mother, I hereby arrest you for trespassing onto Roman soil. Bound by the laws of Camp Jupiter, I sentence you to gladiatorial combat. Legionnaires, detain the exile. Sam, for gods' sake, please do not resist.' Reyna shot them a look. _I'll explain later_.

Sam nodded and held his hands out to be bound.

'This is just great,' muttered Percy as the Romans marched off.

* * *

'I had no choice,' said Reyna before her friends could start. 'He is an exile and Lupa had issued his arrest the moment he stepped through the portal. My hands are tied.'

The leaders of the army took a seat in Reyna's office.

'Why?' asked Annabeth.

Reyna shrugged as she stroked Argentum's neck. 'Lupa only told me to put him in a cell and to have him fight in the arena. I don't know, Annabeth. She's a god and maybe she wants some diversion before the major battle. You know how they get.'

'This is a problem,' said Piper. 'Sam isn't exactly at his full capacity right now, that battle could have him killed.'

'It won't. It's not to the death. If he's smart enough, he'll yield soon enough.'

'This is Sam we're talking about,' said Annabeth fiercely. 'He never yields, he keeps on fighting. It's the common trait with those mages.'

'I know, but trust me. He will yield.' Reyna gave her friends a sly smile as she saw their puzzled looks.

* * *

'Hey, kid,' he said. 'Why don't you get me out of here?'

The younger legionnaire only slammed his spear against the metal bars of the cell and turned away from him.

Sam let out a frustrated groan as he hopped back to his bunk. He stared at his arm and stared at the bright red skin that bore the word _Exile_ in black letters. He resisted the urge to scratch away the itch.

'You're Sarah's brother, right?' whispered the other guard.

Sam jumped to the bars and stood next to the guy. 'Yeah.'

'She wishes you good luck in the fight. You are to fight against the Wolf, the champion of the Third. I haven't seen her fight, but I heard she's fast as hell.'

'A girl? They have me fighting a girl?'

'You have a problem with that, exile?' asked the female guard with a grin.

'Just thought that a gladiator called the Wolf would be a guy,' shrugged Sam. 'Guess she's a gladiatrix.'

'Look who knows something,' mocked the female guard.

'You're annoying,' said Sam as he let out a spark of magic. One of the guards quickly jabbed him in the ribs with the blunt end of his spear.

'No magic,' barked the younger legionnaire.

'Are you not to salute your elders?' asked Sam nodding at the person behind him.

The kid turned around and quickly stood up straight and saluted the second praetor of the Legion. Frank Zhang returned the salute as he approached the cell with a plate of food.

'Frank,' said Sam. 'What brings you here?'

'Lunch,' replied the son of Mars. Frank opened the hatch and gave Sam his lunch with a smile.

'Are you serious?' Sam stared at his plate and back to Frank. 'I am imprisoned on lousy terms, I am not allowed to wear my leg and now you bring me this? Diet cream cheese and cucumber sandwiches with sun dried tomatoes? And carrot sticks as a side dish? I hate cucumber and sun dried tomatoes.'

'We know,' replied Frank with a grin as he walked out. 'You have an hour to get prepared.'

Sam took another look at his lunch and sighed in frustration. 'To the person who had this bright idea, I will find you and get even.' He closed his eyes and took a bite. It took him a lot of willpower to not gag in front of his snickering guards.

* * *

The same twelve legionnaires who had brought him to his cell, collected him exactly an hour after Frank had left. Without speaking a single word they handed him his Celestial bronze leg which Sam slipped on.

They escorted him through a maze of corridors. Eventually the group arrived at a small room that had a large door on one side. Daylight came in though some cracks and holes in it. The guards left him sitting on a wooden bench before vanishing.

Sam recognized pieces of his own equipment. His put his gauntlet on that had his concealed shield in it.

'You need a hand?'

Sam turned around and saw a woman standing in the door opening. She wore her bronze armour consisting of a breastplate, shin guards and vambraces. Armoured sandals and gloves finished it. On her back she carried a round shield. Her silver eyes smiled tiredly.

'Hope,' he smiled. 'Did you get my message?'

The goddess of hope nodded. 'I was wondering when you would call me. Give me that before you hurt yourself.' The goddess swiftly snatched the breastplate out of his hands.

'I am not used to wearing this.'

'Get used to it.'

Hope helped Sam into his armour and helped him get his weapons ready for easy access.

'What do you know?' Sam asked as he took a seat leaning on his sword.

'Lupa wants to give her cubs some down time before the battle,' said Spes. 'Reyna suggested you as the poor participant. Something about a bet?'

Sam groaned in response.

'They chose their champion carefully. The girl is gifted with speed. I've seen her fight against bigger and stronger opponents and all of them were the ones to fall. Once she has a dagger in her hands, the child is scary.'

Sam shrugged. 'I'll blast her to pieces.' Sam swung his sword around as a warm up. 'Gods, the only thing I wanted from this trip was to see Sarah. I know she's here.'

Spes let out a laugh. 'Trust me, she'll have a throwing knife through your tongue before you can utter a single spell.'

'Good thing I don't need to utter spells anymore.' Sam showed her a deck of cards. 'I have these.'

'Don't come crying to me, Sam. I warned you.'

'You ready?'

The two turned to the door and spotted Frank walking in.

Sam nodded. 'Let's get this over with.

Frank nodded and knocked on the big door. With a loud screech, sunlight poured in.


	32. Chapter 32

**Chapter 32 Raging Mage**

'Romans,' declared Reyna loudly for a packed Colosseum. 'Tomorrow night we fight to save Camp Jupiter, but today we will feast!' Roars erupted from the bleachers in a cheer. 'To start the festivities we will watch the exile fight our champion!' Wolf howls filled the air.

'On the left hand side we have Sam Parker, son of Trivia, slayer of Pandora, former honorary legionnaire and exiled demigod. And if we can trust the word of the Senate, a thief as well.'

Reyna grinned as she saw Sam trying to keep up appearances.

'On the right we have someone who doesn't need any further introduction! Our undefeated champion, The Wolf!' The gladiatrix waved her sword at the crowds. 'May the gods have mercy on her opponent. She has been waiting for this opportunity. Any last words, gladiators?'

The Wolf shook her head. Sam did the same.

'Then let us begin!'

The crowds went wild.

* * *

Sam tightened his grip on the handle of his blade as he approached his opponent. She was also armoured and carried several weapons. She was at least a foot smaller than him, but carried her sword like a seasoned fighter. The most unnerving thing about the girl was that she wore a helmet that made it look as she had a wolf head. Her face was covered by a metal mask.

They reached the centre of the sandpit. Sam watched his opponent readying herself to attack. He used a quick magic push to have his shield unfold from the gauntlet. After a moment he carried a scutum adorned with magical runes in his left hand as he held his sword in a defensive stance.

The pain in his left arm registered before he saw her move. In the blink of an eye, he found himself staring at the intricate design of her helmet. It was made from a dark grey metal, with the design being so that her head was being eaten by the wolf. The animal's eyes looked at him with the intention of eating him. He pushed her sword away and swung his sword at her. The Wolf blocked the attack by swatting away the blade and moving to his side.

Swords collided mid swing, sparks flying as they grinded against each other. The sound of metal on metal was nearly inaudible thanks to the roars of the crowd. Moment after moment Sam felt his sword clashing with her shield or sword. As this continued, Sam watched.

'You're fast,' he said as they stood close to each other again.

'I know,' she replied.

'I guess I'll have to fix that.'

Sam backed away. He collapsed his shield back into the gauntlet and readied a wordless spell that Mia had taught him. The Wolf leaned to the left to prepare for the counter. The instant she moved her foot, Sam made his move. The magic landed off target, but still got her. A patch of ice had formed on the sand which had unbalanced the Wolf. Sam advanced with his sword up high to strike. Confidently, he brought it down.

The metal touched nothing but air and sand, nearly toppling him over in the momentum. The next moment his hand moved with his arm. Pain shot through the limb and Sam released his sword as the Wolf had forced it from his hand. It landed in the sand with a soft thud.

'You're better than I imagined,' said the Wolf. She retreated for a moment.

Sam grinned. 'I had some practice.' Realizing she gave him a moment to recover, he reached behind his back and retrieved both hatches strapped beneath his cloak. He held both weapons in front of him, readying himself for round two.

'Care to give them something to watch?' commented the Wolf

'Your words.'

Sam advanced as quick as he could. He brought one of his weapons down on her shield, while swinging the other one at her blade. The Wolf parried his attack. Sam disengaged the weapon and switched the role around in rapid succession. The curved blades of his axes bounced off the shield, leaving dents and scratches behind. Swinging both axes against the shield made the Wolf cry out. Sam backed off.

The Wolf threw her shield away with a frustrated growl. With a flick of her wrist, a dagger appeared in her hand. Shiny metal flickered in the afternoon sun as she advanced. In a simple move, she crossed her sword with the pugio, leaving her opponent to guess which blade she would use for attack.

The son of Hecate swore he could see fury in the eyes behind the mask. The blades in her hands seemed extra sharp. Arming magic in his prosthetic for better support, Sam took a defensive stance. The next moment Sam felt the sword crashing into his axe handle. The blade slid down the handle towards his hand. He moved the weapon away from his body, diverting the attack. A sharp pain slid across his arm. Sam spotted the dagger with a speck of blood on it.

This assault continued as the Wolf attacked with her sword, forcing Sam to open up his defence, leaving him exposed to the swift strokes of her dagger. It didn't take long before the cloak fell onto the arena floor in tatters. Sam panted as the Wolf continued her dance of blades. Sam tried to divert her attacks to his prosthetic leg, but she seemed to see through his tactic as easily as she managed to strike him with the flat end of her sword.

'Enough,' he grunted.

'Am I frustrating you?' she asked sweetly.

Sam reacted by throwing an axe at her which she dodged. In the act of that same move, he slipped a Queen of Spades into his hand and managed to throw it at the Wolf. The instant the card laced with wind magic touched her foot, the sand flew up making her vanish in a miniature sand cloud. As the sand subsided, the Wolf staggered around, still clutching her sword in front of her.

Sam moved towards her as quick as he could. His prosthetic thudding in the sand. His axe scrapped against the bronze limb, making the blade sing. Just as he moved to strike, the Wolf turned around and threw a heavy dagger straight against his breastplate. The impact made him gasp for air and stopped him mid assault as he coughed. In a reflex, Sam reactivated the gauntlet shield. Another dagger bounced off the enchanted scutum.

'You seem annoyed,' he said as the assault stopped.

Peeking over his shield, Sam saw her twirling throwing blades in her hands. He couldn't be sure, but she seemed to be smiling.

'I am,' she responded. 'This has been going on for too long.'

In the blink of an eye, she stood in front of him again. She gave him a slap against the back of his head as she sidestepped his shield.

'Come one, mage. Show me something worthwhile.'

Sam collapsed his shield and pushed her off in a half-hearted tackle. She laughed it off and sauntered off, throwing daggers that were near misses.

'Stop toying with me!' Sam yelled. 'I only came here to see my sister and you're keeping me from her.'

'Then do something about it,' replied the Wolf with shrug. 'Maybe she's watching you right now.'

Sam snapped his fingers. In one hand he made a flame appear, while his staff unfolded itself and floated to his empty one. He made the flame grew until he carried a flaming sword. He brought his sword and staff together.

'I've had enough of this game,' he spoke. Sam slammed his staff into the sand. ' _Scorched Earth_ ,' he screamed.

The sword morphed into a snake that coiled around the staff. The snake vanished into the sand. For a moment nothing happened.

'It that all…' said the Wolf.

Sam waved his staff at her. Suddenly a trail of fire ran across the sand towards his opponent, making hot sand fly up.

The Wolf dodged the attack, but a second trail appeared the moment she regained her balance. A third one came for her as well. More snakes of fire appeared with each move she made. As she moved away from the fire and hot pieces of sand, the Wolf continued her counter move by throwing projectiles at the mage who looked at her with a murderous look on his face. The projectiles bounced off of a shield he had raised. As she was running out of space to run the thought that this fight had been a mistake ran through her head. The laugh of the mage snapped her back to reality.

'You can't win this,' screamed Sam. 'I am the son of Hecate, slayer of Pandora, and I will crush you if you stand in my way!'

The Wolf grinned behind her mask. In his frustrated attack, he failed to noticed that she was approaching him, bring the fire closer to him.

' _Vortex_!' he screamed.

A strong wind suddenly rushed across the arena halting her movements, but also dousing the flames. She stared at the mage. He panted heavily as he leaned against his staff.

Sam watched the Wolf preparing her next attack as the fatigue started creeping up on him. He threw another air card onto the ground. Another cloud of sand separated them. Sam moved towards her with his staff ready for the strike.

A sharp pain against his fingers made him drop the staff with a curse. A weighted arrow fell into the sand next to it. Before he could react, more arrows hit him. Sam used simple shields to wave them out of the air, but every hit caused him to lose focus and dull pain. When he reached for a full deck of cards, a sting made him drop the deck. Blood trickled from his hand.

Another weighted arrow slammed into his regular knee, causing him fall over with a groan as the pain travelled down his leg. Arrows slammed in the sand next to him, causing him to lay still. Sam spotted the Wolf approaching him with a loaded bow, the gold arrowhead being a focal point. He closed his eyes and sighed.

A soft click was followed by a tap against his forehead. More taps followed. Sam opened his eyes to see the Wolf standing over him lobbing small sticks at his head. Sam fended off the next stick. It fell to the ground before his eyes. The yellow colour was familiar. He gently picked it up. The indication on it made him look up at the Wolf. A prick followed as she threw the sharpened 2B pencil against his cheek.

Ignoring her look, Sam got back up on his feet. The Wolf removed her helmet. A braid fell onto her shoulder.

'Are you crazy? That could've cost me an eye,' he said as felt his throat close up.

'If it took out the left, you'd be all right,' she replied as tears formed in her eyes.

Sam staggered to her and gave her a hug. 'I am so sorry for leaving you, Sarah.'

'I knew you'd be back, you're my big brother after all,' was the muffled reply.

'Still undefeated, our champion, Sarah Parker!' declared Reyna from above.

The Parkers continued their hug as the crowd cheered.

* * *

'You two boneheads are lucky that we can heal you up by tomorrow, although that knee will be sore.' Joanne Harley watched the siblings with her most serious glare, yet the Parkers seemed unfazed.

Sam let out a yelp as Harley pushed against his knee and muttered something. The doctor gave her team instructions to get them healed in the quickest way possible. This involved a combination of mortal and divine medicine.

'Are they ready?' asked Annabeth popping her head through the doorway.

'They will live if they can rest for the next day or so,' sighed Harley inspecting Sam's knee. 'Especially this one. You have to conserve your energy.'

Reyna and Annabeth walked in, still dressed in combat gear. Harley and her team finished up the last touches before vanishing.

'So, who won?' Sam gave Reyna a grin.

'She did,' replied the praetor nodding at her pupil. 'I think the match was over the moment you made that second cloud.'

'Maybe I let her win,' suggested Sam.

'The hell you did,' snapped Sarah as she lobbed a crumpled paper at her brother's head. 'I beat you fair and square.'

'Sam, she had you pinned down,' said Annabeth. 'She won this one.'

'Fine,' muttered the son of Hecate. 'How's the army?'

'Having a leisurely night before we start tomorrow. Tomorrow night is the full moon,' replied Reyna. 'You guys good?'

'I am always ready for some target practice,' said Sarah. 'Do we have some more novelty arrows?'

'We brought some,' said Annabeth with a smile. 'But you seem to be good with anything that can be thrown.'

'Long hours of practice and a hint of divine help will do that. And perfect balanced blades.'

'Since when did you become such a fighting machine?' asked Sam. 'I know you were destined for the bow and arrow, but swords and knives?'

Sarah shrugged. 'Since when do you use air magic? Or a sword for that matter? I was expecting a battle axe and a shield, not a sword and magic blasts.'

'Well I did have to learn everything again when I came back.' Sam moved his hand to his arm. 'So I learned a bit of everything, but elemental magic suits me better than the others. And the sword thing was a natural thing. But magic will always be my jam.' Sam stared at his sister. She no longer was the small girl with the stuffed rabbit he left behind. Her eyes were bright, yet fierce. 'So you knew about my tactic?'

Sarah let out a laugh. 'You honestly I'd forget which leg isn't made of non-organic material? Please, I saw that tactic coming a mile away.' Sarah glanced at Reyna.

'Liar,' smirked Sam. 'Reyna told you about our fight.'

'Alright, she did,' sighed Sarah. 'But she didn't mention the sword!' She gave Reyna an evil look.

The praetor shrugged it off. 'I am allowed to have some fun too you know.'

'Oh, I forgot. Praetor, could you hand me my messenger bag?' Sarah rummaged through the bag until she found it. A package of cloth and twine. 'I designed these while you were away.' She threw the package to her brother.

Sam snatched it out of the air. Upon opening it he found a deck of 22 metal playing cards. The engravings were images of the gods mixed in with the tarot cards of the Major Arcana. As he ran his fingers across the cards, Sam sensed the magical possibilities of the cards.

'These are incredible, Sarah,' said Sam. 'Suzan would be able to tell me more about them.'

'Who do you think gave me the idea?'

After a moment of silence filled the room, Annabeth gasped. 'Of course, "A cub's victory will quell the raging mage", the final part of the prophecy is finally in motion.'

'"A mad titan will fall to night/Disperse a light so bright,' recited Sam.

'"Four riders will appear with Hades at their tail/Under a moon ever so pale/At the end of night/The Firstborn shall live/Bear the weight of powers old/To lift the children's curse",' supplied Annabeth.

'This will be hard,' said Reyna. 'The gods are discussing their options. They are holding back Typhon, so getting Hades here is almost impossible.'

'The Fates have dictated it will happen,' said Sam. 'Trust them to figure it out.'

'We'll give the War Council an update, you two get some rest. And no shenanigans,' threatened Annabeth. 'We needs all hands.'

'Aye aye captain,' saluted Sarah which made Sam snicker.


	33. Chapter 33

**AN: Thanks for the reviews, they are very much appreciated. The current arc will run until chapter 36, with two, maybe three chapters as a final part (epilogue kind of thing) at the end. So probably 38 in total :) Enjoy**

* * *

 **Chapter 33 A Proper Battle**

Back at Camp Half-Blood, preparations were in full swing. The demigods were divided into groups for guard duty, while the medical team made the ground floor of the hospital into their base of operations.

At the Big House, Charlotte and Lou were entertaining the smaller demigods with wild tales about the older demigods. Lou was sitting in a comfortable chair while the kid sat on the floor, looking at the magical display accompanying the storytelling. They saw Hercules slaying the Hydra.

'She's great with the kids,' whispered Circe.

Charlotte nodded. 'The kids are all very interested in the magic. An hour ago, she did regular magic tricks and they all enjoyed it.'

Lou finished her story and the children went outside for dinner at the pavilion. 'So, that was entertaining. How is everything going?'

'Good,' replied Circe. 'The border is still holding out and the guards are being vigilant for any signs of action.'

'How are the Olympians?'

'Last I heard, they were busy keeping Typhon busy,' replied Circe. 'Monsters are reported to approach the camp from both the land as the sea. Same goes for Camp Jupiter.'

'Styx,' muttered Charlotte. 'Looks like we'll have a battle here too.'

Circe nodded. 'But I am here and if needed, I'll use some divine magic to kill the monsters.'

'Call me if you need me,' said Lou.

'I won't need you. You just focus on the baby.'

A figure came running towards the House. Circe recognized the child of Hermes as Freddy.

'Circe, a woman is standing at the border, and she's demanding to speak to whoever is in charge. Chiron is already making his way to the border.'

'Thanks, Freddy,' said the goddess. 'Tell the others as well. We'll need more troops at the border.'

With a snap of her finger Circe travelled to the pine tree that held the Golden Fleece. She turned to the border and saw three figures standing in front of it.

To her horror she recognized the woman standing in front of her. The simple brown dress, sandals and blackened silver crown on her head all fit together. The woman smiled and stared at her with two different coloured eyes.

'Impossible, you're dead,' she stammered. 'Sam buried you.'

'And Nyx brought me back to exact my vengeance. And now I have you and your sister against me. After I get rid of you, your baby brother is next.'

'Touch my family and I'll have you dismembered with a blunt knife,' Circe growled.

'You mages all have a penchant for blunt weapons, haven't you?' asked Pandora with a sweet smile. 'This border.' Pandora held her hand against it. 'Won't keep you safe for long, I am a mage too, remember?'

'You're not a mage,' snapped Circe. 'Step one foot into this camp, and we'll settle this once and for all.'

'Let's, then afterwards you can join Alabaster in Hades.'

Circe let out a yell and readied a spell in her hand, but Chiron stopped her before she could act.

'Not yet, my cousin,' said the centaur. 'Bide your time and strike when you are certain of hitting your target.'

Circe relaxed as Pandora vanished. 'Cousin?' she asked with a raised eyebrow.

'Your father was my cousin, while your mother is a cousin once removed, so you're a cousin of mine in the family tree,' said the centaur with a sad smile. 'Tricky stuff.'

Circe let out a snort. 'Let's get me a sword, I could use one to stick it through Pandora's chest.'

* * *

They walked up the hill and took a seat overlooking the final preparations for the battle. Both of them were dressed in metal and leather armour, yet Sam wore his reinforced cloak on top. He held the cards Sarah made in his hand.

'How are you doing, Sarah? You've made quite the name for yourself.'

The legacy sighed. 'I have had time to grieve with Lupa. I poured every ounce of anger, sadness and hate I had into becoming a legionnaire. And the moment I arrived here, I have been so busy and tired that I really don't have had much time to think.'

'Not even about me?' asked the mage with played hurt.

The legionnaire stomped him on the shoulder. 'Of course I wondered where you were, but I knew you were in good hands. Lupa told me so.'

Sam practiced sleight of hand with the Jupiter card. With each rotation and flick, he sensed magic flowing into the cards. They were the perfect vessel for different elements and spells. Once the Jupiter or Hierophant card was ready, he picked up the next one.

The sounds of preparations filled the air between them. Sam played around with a couple of cards while Sarah double checked her gear.

'Sarah,' started Sam. 'I… I don't know how to say this…'

The legacy sheathed her dagger. 'We don't need to talk about it now.'

'Yes, we do,' sighed Sam. 'Gods, I've played this in my head for a hundred times.' He fanned out the metallic cards. 'Pick one.'

Sarah carefully pulled one from the pack. She flipped it. It bore the engraved image of a burning Sun with a man beneath it playing a flute. At his feet laid a bow and arrow. 'The Sun and Apollo.'

Sam exhaled. 'The card signifies success and happiness.' He sniffed. 'I am sorry for having mom and dad killed. It was all my fault.'

'It was never you fault, Sam.' Sarah slipped the card in a pouch on her bandolier. She gave her brother a hug as tears stung in her eyes. 'You did everything to save me. It was you who faced the gods to demand protection, you departed from camp to keep us all from Nyx' wrath. If all, I should be sorry for making you go through all that on your own.'

'I was never alone,' spoke Sam as he dried his tears. 'I had a friend keeping me company.'

'The Hunter? Yeah, she did a lot more than keeping you company' Sarah shot her brother a smile. 'I heard she kept you alive. You're not that great in the wild.'

'Why does everybody keeping saying that?' Sam threw up his hands and huffed.

The Wolf only chuckled.

* * *

The squad leaders stood in a circle alongside the centurions. All of them had red mohawks on their helmets. The generals of the army had white ones.

Reyna had her white mohawked helmet in her hands as she spoke. 'The scouts are reporting that Nyx is approaching her army. She'll be here at the moment the sun goes down and the moon is up. We have about twenty-five minutes to get prepared.'

'Are all your squads ready?' asked Annabeth wearing a white mohawk. 'The cohorts?' All leaders nodded. Annabeth nodded at Reyna.

Horns were sounded and the army amassed in front of the leaders. After a couple of minutes of murmur the noise died down.

'Legacies and demigods of Jupiter!' declaimed Reyna. 'Demigods and legacies of Half-Blood! Most of you have already fought in previous wars for Olympus, but tonight will be different.'

'Our opponent is not an army of demigods, demi-titans or monsters. Our enemy is Nyx herself, the Firstborn,' declared Annabeth scanning the crowd. 'She has breached the terms of the agreement that was reached. She will bring all of her might down on New Rome and Half-Blood to eradicate us.'

'Together we will stop her,' continued Reyna. 'We were at war with each other when Gaea awoke from her great slumber, but tonight we will join forces and save Olympus!'

Roars rose from the crowd.

'Be quick and smart. They will take no prisoners, so nor will we!' yelled Annabeth. 'Let us pray to the gods one last time. Send them some strength. As we fight Nyx on the ground, the gods will fight off Typhon in the sky.'

The crowd got quiet as each demigod, legacy and everything in between, prayed to the gods for a final helping hand.

'The sun will set in ten minutes, man your positions and get ready. May the gods be with you.'

* * *

The Wild Cards huddled together. Each member was dressed in armour and had freshly sharpened weapons to his or her disposal. They had adorned their helmets with the image of the four ace playing cards fanned out.

'So this is it,' said Sam. 'We go to battle in a matter of moments. Everybody ready? All plans clear?'

His squad nodded. 'We try to disrupt the enemy anyway we can before they reach our troops,' said Cali. 'The ultimate goal is to get you to Nyx so that you can end her.'

'While you square off with Nyx, we help out the other troops,' said Rain. 'I wish I had a horse to help with that though.'

'I know the feeling,' said Damien.

'Cate, Eve, you guys good to shoot in the dark?' asked Sam.

'Yeah,' replied the redhead daughter of Hermes. 'Just light up the target if you need instant kill.'

'Of course,' said Eve.

'Are you ready to face off?' asked George.

Sam put his helmet on and slipped on the enchanted goggles he got from Josephine. The magical filter on the glass made it easier to see in the setting sun. 'I was ready the moment I saw Sarah again.'

That moment the sound of a war horn travelled through the air. The sun fully vanished beneath the horizon and the full moon stood in the sky. Night had arrived.

* * *

They walked over the white flag planted into the ground in the middle of battlefield. Next to it stood a woman wearing a flowing dress made of shadows. Her eyes looked like the Galaxy, while the black wings on her back fluttered in the breeze.

'Nox,' greeted Reyna with a slight bow.

'Nyx,' greeted Annabeth in the same manner.

'Generals,' replied the Primordial.

With a wave the goddess of night made a table and chairs appear. She took a seat and took a look at the parchment lying on the table.

Both girls deposited their helmets on the table and joined the goddess.

'In my hands I hold the only agreement I will honour if you give me an unconditional surrender of both Camp Jupiter, New Rome, Camp Half-Blood and the foundations of New Athens.'

'We're listening,' said Reyna.

The goddess cleared her throat. 'I will leave your camps alone if and only if you swear fealty to me. Join my army and these huts will remain standing.' The goddess gestured at Camp Jupiter. 'Once you do, we will march to Olympus and destroy the thrones of power.'

'Is that all?' interrupted Annabeth.

Nyx gave her a glare. 'You will all be my faithful servants and worshippers as I take up my righteous position as Queen of the Gods. In return I give you protection from the monsters and I give you a chance at a regular life.'

'In eternal darkness and damnation on earth,' said Reyna.

'Of course.'

'So basically we surrender and get to live to worship you instead of the Olympians?' questioned Annabeth. 'After which we are forced to live in a world were the monsters get to rule?'

'Yes. I thought children of Athena were supposed to be smart, another piece of evidence that you and that sea spawn only escaped by trickery.'

'I'm not entirely convinced,' said Reyna. 'You speak of Percy as if you mean to dissect him once we surrender. I say we surrender and you renounce your vendetta against Percy, Annabeth and Sam. And no eternal damnation and darkness either. If you need us as worshippers we demand something in return.'

The goddess sighed. 'What do you want?'

'A chance at a normal life and the gods get to live. I mean, they might be a bit "high and mighty", but they're still our parents,' said Reyna.

'That won't be possible,' said Nyx. 'The gods must be eradicated. Can't have a rebellion forming after I win, right?'

'Of course not, that would be unwise,' said Annabeth. 'We intend to win this battle.'

'I agree with my friend. I say we settle this on the battlefield,' commented Reyna. 'In a proper battle.'

'A proper battle it is then.'

In a ripple the furniture and flag had vanished with the goddess, leaving the girls sitting on the ground.

'I hope that pisses her off,' said Annabeth.

'Time will tell.'


	34. Chapter 34

**Chapter 34 Changing The Tide**

As the army took its defensive position to protect New Rome against the forces of Nyx coming in from the Oakland Hills, the Wild Cards followed their leader around. The other squad leaders were watching the scene with Nyx unfold while Sam took a look at the demigod forces.

The Roman Cohorts were battle ready with the Fifth keeping an eye on the tunnel entrance with a group of Greeks. A ballista was aimed directly at the entrance should larger enemies come through. Two Scorpio's stood close by as a back-up. The First and Second formed the main battle line facing the Oakland Hills alongside Percy's and Clarisse's squads. Towers had been erected behind the Little Tiber which held archers and catapults for the distance advantage.

The Third and Fourth Cohort had placed themselves closer to Temple Hill to guard the shrines and temples. Laila and Nico had placed their squads with them. The squads of Piper and Jason had joined groups of veterans and unassigned Romans as the second line of defence all along the front line.

Sam spotted the eleven other red mohawks in the crowd and watched as the two white ones came back from the talk with Nyx. He pushed through the crowds and joined them.

'Did she take the bait? he asked.

Reyna gave him a smile. 'Of course she did. Expect her to come after you.'

'You better hope this works, Sam,' continued Annabeth. 'Don't hesitate if you get the chance.'

'I won't.' Sam put his helmet on and joined the main forces.

A horn sounded from their end. The centurions barked orders and the Romans stiffened and put on their poker faces. A heavier horn sounded from the opposite side of the battle field. The enemy had given the final signal. The battle for New Rome had begun.

* * *

'Hold the line,' yelled Charlotte to the Romans standing in front of her. 'Form a shield wall, two high!'

The first line of defence at Camp Half-Blood stood outside the border to keep them away for a few hours more. Roman veterans and demigods stood their ground.

It had been a while since Charlotte Perkins had held a blade and the position of centurion, but as one of the few people with actual battle experience she had forced Lou to let her go and help. Being backed by an immortal centaur and goddess of magic did help.

Monsters vanished in clouds of gold dust as the children of the gods slashed, stabbed and pierced them with bronze and gold weapons. Once the majority of the group had been vanquished the troops retreated behind the border, letting the stragglers be killed off by bow and arrow.

'This isn't going to hold forever,' said Charlotte to her second in command.

'We know,' replied the veteran. 'The goddess and centaur are keeping an eye on the beach. Reports are coming in that monsters are coming in on boats.'

'By Jove,' muttered Charlotte. 'We need to get a barrier down on that beach.'

'Some of the guards have reported that something in the water is giving off strange light. They call it a big robot. It seems to scare the monsters and give our troops as sense of serenity.'

Another horn was sounded. Hell hounds appeared at the foot of Half-Blood Hill. The demigods and legacies readied themselves.

Charlotte twirled the blade in her hand and readied her shield. 'Gods give me strength.' With a fierce yell, the daughter of Roman Apollo ran forward leading her troops towards the monsters.

* * *

The sound of metal piercing flesh and vanishing monsters made communicating difficult. Monsters were all around and the Olympian forces tried their best to hold the line. After the first wave of hounds, a wave of dracaena followed. Arrows had flown through the air and had forced the non-vanished enemies back. Clouds of dust filled the battlefield.

An eerie silence followed the first victory for the demigod forces. A low horn sound reverberated through the air. Mist came flowing from the Oakland Hills. The thumping sound of hooves came closer until a monster roared and appeared from the mist. Fur lined the upper part of its body covering every inch including its head. The yellow eyes scanned the crowd in front of them. Sharp horns shined softly in the moonlight. The Minotaur let out a bellowing roar as he swung his axe around.

Other monsters appeared from the mist. A lion's head roared before coming closer. A snake tail hissed as a goat head spat fire. The Chimera licked it's lips. The third monster to appear from the shadows was a Lydian drakon. The giant snake slid from the mist and hissed as its eyes searched for its next demigod meal. Its body disappeared back into the mist. A drop of spit smoked as it came into contact with the ground.

From the front line stepped a single man. Dressed in nothing more than leather armour and a dark cloak, the mage pointed his claymore at the Minotaur standing in front of him. He muttered some words before an orange glow surrounded him. Drops of his own blood dripped onto his blade. John McMiller smiled.

'Did you really think we'd let you go in alone?'

John turned around. Next to him stood a raven haired demigod and a girl built like a rugby player, Percy Jackson and Clarisse La Rue. The daughter of Ares pointed at the Drakon with a spear. 'That monster is mine.'

'I'll take the Chimera then,' grinned Percy.

The Minotaur roared and advanced rapidly. John flexed his fingers in a rapid sequence of gestures and left the squad leaders behind. The axe collided with his sword mid swing. With the magical boosts, John simply deflected the blows from the beast as it continued to roar. As the Minotaur breathed heavily, John taunted it.

With renewed anger towards the demigod in front of him, the beast charged. John swung his blade at the beast as it came into range. Diverting the assault, the blade managed to clip one of the horns. The Minotaur let out a pained roar. It returned to John and continued its barrage of attacks. It managed to graze John's arm, but the mage seemed unfazed.

John dived under the attack and brought his sword and a magical blast together in a single attack. The arm holding the axe dropped to the ground and the beast roared in pain. John let his guard down for a second as he saw Percy struggling against the Chimera. He saw the horn piercing his shoulder before registering the pain. The beast lifted him up like a ragdoll.

Percy jumped out of the way of the fire blast and used his powers to douse it with water from the Tiber. As the lion roared and shook its mane, Percy brought Riptide down on the snake, but he was too slow. The head snapped at his hand. Percy jammed Riptide's blade between the jaws of the snake and tried staying away from the goat's head. A pained yell made him look away. A paw smacked him aside. Percy blinked as he came to his senses. Dewy grass had him soaking as he struggled for breath. The Chimera had its sights on the front line.

'Come on, Prissy,' screamed Clarisse. 'The kitty cat is getting away.' The daughter of Ares danced around dodging the acid spits and snapping jaws.

Percy uncapped the pen the moment it came from his jeans pocket. With a wave and a push from his mind, the son of Poseidon used the dew to force the Chimera back towards him.

'Dad, give me some strength,' he muttered.

The monstrous lion came charging towards him. He activated his shield watch and braced for impact. But the anticipated attack never came. Percy peeked from behind his shield and saw the Chimera attacking John alongside the Minotaur. A knife stuck in one of the goat eyes.

'Percy,' yelled the mage. 'Get me some water.'

Percy nodded. Gripping Riptide he focused. Mist and dew rose and toiled until solid water floated in the air. Using it, Percy managed to restrain the Minotaur for a few moments. More than enough for the battlemage.

Muttering incantations and spells, John unleashed his might. With a single swipe, he sliced off the Chimera's tail. Moving faster than the blink of an eye, John grabbed a front paw and slammed the Chimera straight into the Minotaur's remaining horn. As the Minotaur stumbled onto his back, the other monster vanished in a cloud of gold dust.

'Payback, beefburger,' said John before he slammed the horn in the Minotaur's shoulder. With a wail, the Bull vanished. John calmly walked over to the Drakon and stood still as soon as the beast caught his eye.

For a single moment it was quiet as the large snake froze watching the mage. Clarisse threw her spear at the beast head and managed to hit it in the eye. John followed suit by pushing the head between two shields. Eventually the other eye popped and John McMiller fell over.

'That was one amazing trick,' said Clarisse as she crouched next to him and gave him nectar to drink.

'Won't be able to do it again though.' He showed them an empty vial. 'Wake me up in an hour or two.'

And with that, the mage fell unconscious. Percy picked up the claymore as the daughter of Ares lifted him onto her shoulders and carried him to the hospital.

* * *

As John was taken to the hospital for treatment, the Olympian forces gained hope. With most of their numbers still intact, which included The Seven and the other legendary warriors, their chances for a positive outcome became greater at every victory. Or so it seemed.

Monsters did not appear from the mist when the next horn was sounded. From the quiet came darkness. For a couple of minutes, the full moon and the stars vanished from the sky.

'Shields up!' screamed Reyna.

The order was repeated across the line. Turtle formations spread through the crowd, but not fast enough. Arrows came falling down from the darkness. Yelps and screams mixed with the sound of thudding sounds as the arrows struck the shields.

A yell roared through the night. Red lights pierced the sky before exploding and briefly forming a diamond shaped barrier in the sky. Once flowing through the barrier, the arrows crumbled and ashes snowed upon the demigods and legacies.

The Wild Cards had raised their shields over their heads for protection. Circling their leader, the squad watched Sam mumbling and waving his arms in patterns.

'Diamonds make good shields,' was his comment before he lowered his arms.

'Thanks for the save,' said Hank from the Third Cohort as he approached them.

'That's why we're here,' said George. 'I wonder what's next.'

Streams of enemies running from the mist and the tunnel answered that. Hundreds of armoured monsters marched towards the line of battle. Scythian Dracaena, eight foot tall Laistrygonian Giants with iron clubs, hell hounds the size of cars and Colchis Bulls and more made their way to New Rome.

'First line, charge!' yelled Reyna.

'Elementals, let it go!' screamed Annabeth.

The heavy hitting squad under leadership of La Rue and others let out a battle cry before charging their enemies head on. The siege weapons released their cargo. Explosive projectiles crashed down on the monsters, slowing down the weak ones. Silver arrows flickered in the moonlight before they struck their opponents.

From their position next to the river, Mia and Percy joined forces to unleash the power of the Little Tiber on their enemies. Water rose up and came crashing down. The element snaked trough the monsters, making them trudge through mud.

'Jason!' Sam regrouped with the other leaders who weren't occupied with the battle directly. 'We need to help them!'

'How?' asked Thalia before releasing a flare arrow in the sky, signalling to continue the assault.

Sam nodded at Cali and showed them two of his metal cards. 'Let Cali unleash her full power. Storms are her thing. And these.' Sam showed them The Hierophant bearing the image of a regal looking Jupiter and The Tower showing the image of Poseidon causing the tower to crumble. 'Have the cards land in the middle of the enemy forces for maximum effort.'

'How about we shoot them to the other side?' asked Thalia.

'I have a pilum that works too.'

Sam grinned. 'That'll do. Now touch the cards and you'll get my drift.' He handed the card to Thalia who started sparking.

Jason hesitantly her holding the card. He gasped for a second. 'This power is awesome.'

'It'll all about the opportunities. You guys know what to do?'

Thalia grinned. 'Of course we do.'

'Time to change the tide.'

* * *

The pilum with the two cards attached to it soared through the sky. Mia acted as the guide for their combined power. Cali, Percy, Gina, Thalia and Jason all supplied Mia with the divine powers within each of them. The mage let loose.

Clouds covered the moon as rain and wind started assaulting the monsters. Water and air got them soaked to their bones. A hurricane started to brew on the horizon. The powers of the gods of Sea and Thunder were all tethered to the cards that struck the enemy as the golden spear pierced its chest. Once it dissolved into gold dust, the cards touched the soil.

Pushing their powers to the sky, deafening thunder rolled through the air, overcoming the sounds of battle. Then came the crack. From the sky came a large lightning bolt. It raced down the metal card that had called it. Striking an opponent directly, the energy exploded leaving scorched earth in its wake. More lightning dropped from the sky, incinerating enemies with each hit. The ground rumbled and cracked as the power of Poseidon spread from the card. Monsters lost their footing in the streams of mud combined with a trembling ground.

The mist covering the hills surrounding Camp Jupiter dissolved in the downpour. As more monsters vanished in clouds of gold dust, the feeling of victory rose within the rank of the demigods. This feeling was quickly squashed as more monsters awaited them in the hills, being helmed by Kampê and Nyx herself.

'Impossible,' muttered Reyna as she stared at the scene in front of her. 'She's got us surrounded.'

The demigods and legacies regrouped behind the Tiber. The siege weapons came to a screeching halt. Arrows stopped flying.

'We've poured everything we had into that attack,' said Percy as he munched on a piece of ambrosia.

'We need another plan,' said Piper with a slight panic in her voice.

'Praetor,' called an Amazon messenger from a distance. 'Forces are breaching the tunnel entrance. Centurion Levesque and the Greeks are being overrun.

'Hazel,' muttered Frank picking up his weapons. 'We need to help them.'

'Go,' said Annabeth. 'We'll handle this.'

Frank and a squad moved towards the tunnel entrance.

Another messenger came running. He reported that the Temple Hill was nearly out of protection.

'I know how we can get some more fire power,' said Leo fidgeting with a miniature catapult. 'The mecha.'

'That thing is at Half-Blood,' remarked Piper.

'Than we go to Camp,' said Sam. 'I can get myself plus three others through the gate in Janus' temple.'

The leaders of the army watched monsters breaching the line at Temple Hill.

'Do it quick,' said Reyna.

Sam nodded. His crew followed him.


	35. Chapter 35

**AN: Thanks for the review and views :) Two more chapters to go and then some epilogue chapters.**

* * *

 **Chapter 35 Dawn on the Horizon**

They pushed through the minor skirmishes happening throughout the path to Temple Hill. Cate and Eve dispatched enemies with skilful shots, while Sam and George provided cover with shields. Rain killed off monsters that came too close with her sword. Damien provided cover in the rear.

Beheading a last hell hound, Rain closed the half circle around Sam as he called out the power to activate the doorway to Camp Half-Blood. He channelled the powers through a metal card bearing the image of the two-faced Janus surrounded by the four elements, the World card.

The doors opened and a faint light shined.

'Alright, who's with me?'

'George and I will stay and guard the door from our end,' said Eve. 'We have six hours till sunrise.'

'We don't have six hours,' said George as he watched the battle turning into multiple skirmishes all along the Little Tiber. A ball of fire soared through the sky and laid waste to a tower moments after the demigods could escape.

'Then we better hurry up.'

Sam and his roommates from Ward 2 stepped into the temple.

* * *

With a roar Circe used the sword to slash at the monsters in front of her. Ignoring the strain in her mind and soreness of her muscles, the goddess used a whip of fire to vanquish her enemies. Seeing the monsters slip past the broken border, Circe created a weak shield to fend them off a second longer.

'Pandora!' she yelled. 'Enough games. Face me!'

The sound a slow clap applause came closer as the monsters broke rank to let a person past. The moonlight was fading gradually as the hour of dawn approached, but it still made the silver specks of the crown on Pandora's head shine slightly.

'Took you long, enough, my dear,' said Pandora sweetly. 'If anything, I should commemorate you for holding on this long.'

The woman ceased her clapping as a monster handed her a sword and shield.

The Mother of all Evil nodded at a couple of monsters wo immediately rallied their troops into Camp Half-Blood. Some of them were incinerated by Peleus, but the fire proof ones made their way towards the buildings. Some of which held the younger demigods.

Circe tried to make a move, but the circle around her closed up and Pandora tutted with a smirk in her eyes. The goddess summoned a shield in her hand and raised her sword. She faced Pandora and let the anger and hate flow into her limbs. The woman would pay for what she did.

In the next moment, the blades clashed making sparks fly in the darkness.

* * *

She winced as the pain spread through her abdomen. Her breathing became ragged. Lou was lying on a pile of pillows in the corner of the room in the medical building. The young demigods sat huddled together against the walls with some of the guards comforting them as monsters roamed outside of the building.

A yelp escaped her lips as the next contraction happened. She crushed some of the pillows in her balled fists. Lou felt someone sit down next to her. A moist cloth was wiped across her brow. Opening her eyes, she spotted Rose – an eleven year honey blonde old daughter of Demeter – smiling down upon her.

'Are you okay?' asked the girl.

'I'm very tired,' replied Lou. 'The baby is coming and I just want to sleep.'

'Do you need some water?'

Lou nodded. 'That would be nice.'

'I'll fetch you some.' The girl vanished through some door.

Muffled sounds of combat were audible as the door opened again. Rose entered, trying to not spill the water from the cup. Another young woman entered. Laura, the midwife, was dressed in navy scrubs. As the daughter of the goddess of childbirth she was a welcome addition to the camp for the future. She took a seat next to Lou and checked her pulse.

'How is everything going?' asked Lou.

'You're fine,' replied Laura draping the blanket back into place.

'Not about that,' said Lou. 'Outside.'

'Not good.' Laura wasn't known for sugar-coating things. 'Monsters have breached the border. Circe is fighting Pandora and a last line of defence is being prepared to keep them out of here.'

A sniff made Lou turn around. Rose stared at the cup of water. 'We'll be safe, Rose. Once Nyx is defeated, the others will get back here.' She grimaced as another contraction happened. Rose made her drink some water.

The door opened and in came a Roman soldier. The senator markings on her armour were scratched. Removing her helmet, Charlotte stared at her fiancée. The senator took a seat and played with Lou's hair as both women smiled. 'I'm here,' Charlotte whispered.

'Don't you have to be out there?'

'I am were I need to be.'

The next moment the door was thrown open and a tall man appeared in the doorway. The man slowly transformed into a slightly taller giant. The young demigods screamed in fear as the guards lifted their shields for protection.

'I smell new blood,' said the man in a grumbling voice. 'It has been long since Spear Chucker had new blood.' The giant pointed a sharp stick at Lou. 'You carry the blood. I will rip it from your womb.'

Laura and Charlotte moved in front of Lou. Lou squeezed Charlotte's hand while Laura held Rose's.

'You will not.' Rose freed herself from Laura's grasp. The fear she felt subsided as warmth spread in her mind. She turned to a corner and spotted a girl with red hair she didn't know smiling at her. The next instance the girl was gone.

'Rose, sit down,' said Lou.

Rose shook her head. From her pocket she fished out a handful of dirt and seeds. Ignoring the rumbling noise the giant made, she dropped it onto the tilled floor. Sprinkling the material with water from the cup, Rose kept staring at the giant. The floor cracked and the seeds and dirt fell into a small crack.

'Is this all what the half-bloods have to offer? A girl with seeds?'

Rose tittered as she gave the giant a glare. She stretched an arm towards the giant. 'I am a daughter of Demeter. And I give you thorns.'

The ground rumbled. From the small crack appeared a thorn-bearing plant. In the blink of an eye, the ever growing vegetation raced towards the giant and wrapped itself around his legs. Inch long thorns embedded themselves into his skin. Red roses blossomed all along the strings of plant life. The plant wrapped itself around the monster, forcing it on the ground. The giant dropped his sharp stick before releasing his final breath.

Rose let her arm drop and she staggered before she fell unconscious. Charlotte helped Laura get her into a comfortable position.

'She's sleeping. That action knocked her out,' said Laura.

'That is one brave kid,' said Charlotte stroking her hair.

'Everybody okay?' yelled a voice from outside. A legionnaire poked his head into the room. He stared at the dead giant covered in roses. 'Neat.'

'We're okay, Jake,' replied Charlotte.

'Cool. The portal became active a minute ago, any ideas?'

'Stab anyone and anything coming through,' replied Charlotte. 'Now get going and defend this place.'

'Yes, captain.'

'Wait,' said Lou. 'Ignore that first part if a kid wearing a cloak comes through.'

'What she said,' finished Charlotte. She waved the young man away.

'If you two are done fooling around, I'd like to get Lou to a separate room,' said Laura. 'The baby is coming.'

* * *

Circe let out a scream as the blade tore through her thigh muscle. She smacked the sword away and shifted her weight on the other leg. Using some of John's spells, she patched up the wound. Pain filled up her mind. It had been too long since she had fought with a blade in a duel. The strain in her body was foreign to her, while Pandora had been gifted with excellent swordsman skills and had gained the necessary stamina throughout the millennia.

'Do you give up?' asked Pandora.

Circe gritted her teeth and shook her head. Breathing in, Circe calmed her nerves and raised her blade once again.

'I am the one standing between you and this camp. Alabaster died protecting this home from you, so I will never surrender it to you.'

Pandora sniggered. 'You still feel bitterness about that? He was a fool for leaving my side. And so were you. He warned you about me, didn't he? What if you had listened sooner, Circe?'

Circe loaded her sword with magical energy. With each swing, she threw magical blasts at her opponent. As the magic bounced from Pandora's shield, it hit the monsters instead. Most of them vanished or got transformed into guinea pigs.

'You can't beat me, you insolent child,' spat Pandora. 'I walked the earth before you were born from that whore you call a mother. I am a gift from the gods and I will raze this camp from the earth.' She raised her sword to strike. And stopped with a puzzled look on her face. From within the border came a bright red figure. As it came closer, Pandora recognized the flaming horse. 'No,' she muttered.

Circe smiled as she had felt the spike of familiar energy appearing in the distance. She turned to the horse as it stopped in front of her. She stroked the horse's nose. A solid figure brushed against her finger.

'CC,' Sam screamed from the top of the hill. 'Never forget who you are! Leave the swords to us.'

 _To us_. Circe grabbed the thing inside the horse. It was a warm metallic rectangle. As she stared at it, she recognized the image of her mother. Three faces, all bearing torches standing at a crossroad. _Never forget who you are_. Circe held the card as the horse vanished. The power and possibilities in the card felt right.

'It was my fault,' Circe said as tears streaked her face. Not sad, but happy tears. 'If I had listened to Alabaster sooner, he might have lived. If I had ignored your call, I would've never joined you on your crazy crusade.' Circe dropped the sword and placed the card in her leather armour, close to her heart. 'But without you, I would have never found my other family.'

The goddess of magic let out a laugh as she stared at Pandora's puzzled look. 'I became closer to them as a way to relieve my guilt for Alabaster. I joined their cause a penance, but now I can fully pay my debt to him. It is true, Pandora, you may be the immortal daughter of the gods.' Circe let the magic from the card flow through her body. She built up some tension in her gut. 'But I am Circe, goddess of magic and fire. Sister to my maternal siblings, and aunt of my unborn niece.'

Circe released some magic. A golden glow enveloped her. 'And you are correct, my mother is Hecate. But do you know who my father was, Pandora?' The goddess stared at the trembling woman before her. She stood there, nailed to the ground. 'My father was Helios, Titan of the Sun. His blood runs through my veins, so does his power.'

As she breathed out, Circe unleashed the full extent of her power. It had been ages since she had unleashed her true form. She let go of her mortal form and just gave into the power of magic and fire.

* * *

They arrived through the portal just after 1 AM San Francisco time. Sam raised a shield on instinct. A couple of arrows crashed against it.

'Who are you?' called someone from behind a makeshift fortification. 'Speak or be killed.'

'Sam, squad leader of the Wild Cards, with me are Cate, Damien and Rain. We are here to get some help. Jupiter is on the verge of being overrun.'

'Stand down,' ordered someone. 'They check out.'

As the Wild Cards moved forward, they spotted the small fires spread out across camp. Lifeless bodies laid on the ground, some covered in gold dust.

'What happened?' asked Cate putting the arrow back into the quiver.

'Pandora broke through the barriers. Monsters came through, some did real damage to the camp and troops before being killed,' replied a legionnaire. 'Circe is fighting Pandora as we speak.'

Sam stared at the scenery before him. She had to be stopped or else the entire camp would be ruined. 'Guys, go and get whatever you need. I'll check up on the battle and the others.'

'I'll stick around,' said Damien. 'Rain, you know what I need, right?' He placed his round shield on his back to have both hands free. Torches revealed a pair of golden scales on a black surface.

'One horse coming up,' replied the daughter of Aphrodite before disappearing with Cate towards the stables.

The two guys helped out anyway they could with the wounded. Sam heard moans and screams rolling through the hallway of the hospital before leaving to help Circe. Hearing Lou curse made him smile. Damien remained at the hospital to help.

The son of Hecate made his way to the border on Half-Blood Hill. The energy radiating from that place came from Circe and someone else. Focussing for a minute, Sam recognized it as Pandora's. She had not lied about razing camp to the ground. Arriving at the top he spotted Circe clashing swords with Pandora. Golden blood stained Circe's armour. The immortal woman was better at the swordplay, but Circe used magic in a wild move. Sam saw monsters vanishing and transforming.

He wanted to help, but Circe seemed determined to finish her on her own. Feeling the weight of the remaining cards in his pouch, Sam picked out the one with the most possibilities. He used a Jack of Clubs with the metal card to make a flaming horse.

'Have a nice flashback, you hag,' he muttered sending the horse towards the battle. The horse stopped in front of Circe. She would have to do it. 'CC,' he screamed.

* * *

Annabeth Chase stabbed the monster in the eye and evaded a spear thrust as she fought back from a small hill. Her squad members were scattered around her, all busy with their own opponents. Their plan had failed. Nyx had summoned more monsters than they could handle. It was only a matter of time before they would all be too tired to fight back.

She pushed back with her shield against an empousa and brought her knife down. The blade turned the monster into dust.

'So we meet again.'

Annabeth turned around. Ten feet away stood Nyx in all her glory. The goddess ignored the battles happening around her as she strode towards Annabeth. In the blink of an eye, the woman with the galaxy as a dress, stood before her.

'Nyx,' she spat. She took a defensive stance.

The goddess responded by making a black sword appear in her hand. 'Time for your fair battle. Once you're defeated, your precious Percy will be next. Maybe I'll keep him alive until I've slain his father in front of him.' Nyx cocked her head and smiled.

The daughter of Athena only stared at her for a moment and charged. Each attack she threw was simply dodged. The goddess was toying with her. Annabeth made another move by ditching her shield and picking a sword. Using both blades in a smooth sequence, she forced the goddess to use the sword. It didn't help much. Each blocked strike resulted in fatigue building up. Eventually the goddess attacked.

Annabeth barely dodged the first strike, but she got hit by a fist. The air was knocked from her lungs as she fell to her knees. Her silver knife shined softly in the moonlight. As she grabbed it, she was picked up and slammed back onto the ground. The weapon slipped from her grasp. A hand closed around her neck and lifted her up.

'See what I can do,' spoke Nyx.

Refocussing her vision as she struggled for breath, Annabeth saw her troops being overrun by monsters big and small. Percy and Mia were using the Tiber as a weapon. Hunters and Amazons were fighting everything still moving. A shapeshifting cat tore and mauled enemies apart, while Reyna led some Romans up a hill for a better vantage point.

'Say something.'

A hand smacked her across the face. Blood trickled from the corner of her mouth. She smiled. 'Why do you think you've won?'

Nyx laughed. 'Still ready to fight, I like that about you, Annabeth Chase. Athena can be proud to call you her daughter.'

Annabeth let out a coughing laugh. 'I am not a daughter of Athena.' Annabeth closed her eyes.

Nyx saw the person changing. The strands of golden hair turned black, while her face grimaced as it changed. After a moment, the only thing that reminded the goddess of Annabeth was the white mohawked helmet on her head. The girl in her grasp opened her eyes. Pitch black eyes stared back.

'Who are you?' demanded Nyx.

'I am a daughter of Hecate,' spoke Suzan. With a swift kick to Nyx' chest, she freed herself. She uncapped the vial and drank the dose of Flood. Within seconds, she felt the power coursing through her veins. 'Deception is the first rule of magic.' Picking up her knife, she vanished in the darkness.

Nyx regained her senses and saw the scene in front of her. Shadows were killing her monsters dozens at a time. A silver knife danced in the night, slashing throats and bonds of prisoners. The daughter of Hecate moved as if she controlled the night. Cackling laughter rose from the battlefield.

The freed prisoners and saved demigods regrouped to drive their opponents back. Once the shadows stopped moving, the magician fell down. A group of demigods surrounded her while a medic checked her. A girl with a red mohawk crouched next to her.

'You did great, Suzan,' said the real Annabeth Chase as she regained her grey eyes. 'We will win this battle.'

Annabeth guided her group to the others. Regrouping behind the Tiber, she found almost all of the squad leaders mostly unharmed. Hazel and Frank were covered in scratches, while Leo had a gash on his leg.

'She may have turned the tide,' said Jason. 'We have lost about seventy people in the skirmishes. I believe we have half that in the medical section.'

'We have sixty people in the trauma bay,' corrected Joanne Harley as she joined the leaders. She squinted her tired eyes as the torch light. 'I have twenty dead people that are being tended to. Twenty others are on the verge of dying if we can't stop this soon. We haven't won this yet.'

A moment of silence passed as the demigods let the news sink in.

'Troops inbound!' yelled a Hunter. She pointed at the glowing light coming from Janus' temple on the hill.

'Aim a ballista at the doors,' ordered Reyna. 'We don't know if it are friends coming through.'


	36. Chapter 36

**The final battle is here :) Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 36 Plan A(ce)**

'Sam, we're ready.'

The mage turned as Rain descended from her horse. It's copper-reddish colour spread warmth as light touched it. The daughter of Aphrodite comforted the animal.

'Go,' said Circe as she drank the nectar Chiron had offered her. 'We've got this. With Pandora dead, this battle is ours. I will call you when the child is there.'

Screams of pain came from the hospital's open windows, which made Circe smile.

Sam called his squad members to him. He picked up the metal cards. 'Cate, you take this card. The Chariot, or Nike. Let it rain.' He turned to Damien. 'The Justice card, for a balanced decision.' The son of Nemesis grinned. 'And for you I have the Emperor and Lovers,' he finished as Rain took the cards and strapped them to her armour. 'Ares and Aphrodite. Let them hear you, Rain.'

Sam picked a last card from the diminished deck and fastened it to his gauntlet. 'Go through, I'll be there in a minute.'

His crew members mounted their steeds and vanished through the portal. First Cate, then Rain and finally Damien on his black horse. He had his shield in hand.

The mage turned to Circe who had risen to her feet. 'You needed me?'

'Take off the cloak and armour.'

Sam stripped off his armour.

Circe laid her palm flat on his chest. She chanted as a symbol lit up on his chest. Circe struck the symbol which made Sam gasp. The rune was shattered and dissolved in the night.

Sam breathed in some fresh air and felt at peace with the tingling sensation coming from his chest. With a snap of his fingers, he was dressed again. Sam made a flame appear in his hand. It floated away to guide him through the night.

'Go,' said Circe with a smile. 'Use all you've got to slay her.'

Sam nodded before vanishing in a ripple.

Reappearing at the beach, he made a couple of guards jump. Ignoring their demands, Sam stretched out his arms to the flame floating above the ocean. With a grin he pulled it free from the salty water and seaweed. Once the twelve foot tall mecha was on the beach, Sam climbed in. In the light of the torches, the seaweed and salt had given it a pale, greenish colour.

He grabbed the controls. The runes and symbols lit up in a red flash. Sam let the magic flow as his prosthetic leg clicked into place. He placed the Vulcan card, the Hermit, on the floor where it attached itself to the robot. Sam closed his eyes and let the magic do its thing.

* * *

'What happened?' asked Reyna as George and Eve appeared next to the group.

'The portal reactivated and we ran. Something's coming,' said Eve.

All eyes were on the portal as silence rolled across the battlefield. From the portal echoed the sound of hooves. Suddenly a pegasus appeared from the doors. Galloping to the edge of the hill, the winged white horse spread its wings and dove off the hill only to fly up. The silver crowned rider fired off an arrow. It exploded upon contact with a crowd of monsters. More arrows rained from the sky.

'That's Cate!' exclaimed Eve pointing at the rider.

'"I looked and behold",' said Harley. '"A white horse, and he who sat on it had a bow and a crown was given to him". To her. It's Conquest.'

'What?' asked Percy.

'The Book of Revelation,' said Joanne. 'A string of allegorical visions written down by John of Patmos in the Bible describing the end of time according to tradition. I guess John had actual visions.'

A second horse appeared. The horse stormed from the hill, surrounded by a fiery aura. A blade was unsheathed by the rider and it flamed. A loud and clear voice owned by a beautiful girl rallied the tired troops. The demigods picked up shields and swords and followed the horse into battle. The flaming sword drew burning streaks in the night.

'War,' smiled Joanne.

The third horse raced down the hill. Laughing wildly from atop his black steed the rider lifted up his shield. A black shield bearing golden scales. Another group of demigods joined the rider into combat. Damien used his shield to strike at opponents.

'Damien,' said George.

'Famine,' corrected Joanne.

The three horsemen and their troops pushed the enemy back. Reyna, Frank and Hazel ordered Romans to fill in the ranks, while the Greeks helped by taking the wounded to safer places. The horsemen regrouped within the line of the Little Tiber. They joined their other squad members who helped them with nectar and ambrosia.

From the wounded came a legionnaire wearing a wolf helmet. She removed it with her non-bandaged hand.

'Where is my brother?' asked Sarah Parker.

The riders all showed her the blackened cards that remained after the magic had been used up. 'He's coming to finish off what he started,' said Rain as she handed the cards to Sarah.

'"Behold, a pale horse,' declaimed Joanne as she pointed to the hill. People turned around.

A mechanical pale coloured horse faintly reflected the moonlight. On it sat a cloaked and hooded figure. In his hands he held an axe. The horse neighed and stood on its hind legs. It's fiery red eyes staring at the crowd.

'Seated by a man named Death, and Hades followed him,' finished Joanne.

The horse galloped down the hill. Each strike of the hooves sounded like thunder rolling through the sky. The rider leaned to one side and used his axe to open up the earth on the hill. The crack grew and from it poured Hades. Dead Romans marched from the opening. After a few dozen warriors came a tall figure. A pale looking figure carrying a black sword and an opal ring on his finger.

'Who summoned me here!' he demanded.

The rider doubled back and halted before Pluto, the god of the dead. They engaged in a conversation. It ended with Pluto ordering the dead to hold off the monsters while the rider galloped to the woman standing on a small hill. Nyx.

* * *

Sam stopped the horse in front of the hill on which stood Nyx, the First of the Protogenoi.

'Nyx,' he greeted with a courteous nod.

'Sam,' returned the goddess. 'You've put on quite a spectacle. I heard Pandora has been defeated.'

'Circe paid her back,' replied Sam with a shrug. 'Now, it's my turn.'

'Very well. One more battle and then I will rule over Olympus.' Nyx waved her hand and in an instant she wore armour that melted with her shadowy dress. The goddess strode down the hill onto the battlefield.

Sam backed away for a couple of feet before caressing the horse. He whispered a word. The horse neighed before shifting back into its original form. The horse clicked open and metal parts unfolded and slid into each other, envelopping Sam. Eventually the Iron Titan and Sam stood as it did before. Sam made larger copies of his hatchets appear in the hands of the mecha.

'No shield?' questioned Nyx with a smile as she took a stance before growing to same size as the robot.

'Attack is the best defence.' The mecha crossed and uncrossed its blades. A metal ringing sound ran through the night. 'Only a few more hours left.'

'I only need minutes.'

And with that, the goddess of the night attacked.

* * *

The crowd watched as the robot and the tall goddess engaged in a dance of strike, parry, strike. Nyx waved her sword at the chest of the robot, but Sam blocked the attack with one axe and slammed the second on down on her shield. The goddess simply brushed it off and continued her attack.

'Do we do something?' asked Hunter fiddling with her bow.

'No,' said George. 'He'll give us the signals first.' The son of the blacksmith held a pouch in his hands. It was Sam's ace up the sleeve.

'What signals?' asked Reyna with a puzzled look.

Annabeth snorted. 'He was always going to go after her, whatever happened. The little jerk had a plan since the beginning.'

'Ever since they brought his memories back,' corrected Hunter.

Sarah Parker only smiled.

The two combatants were locked together as their weapons grinded against each other. The mecha had better footing, so Sam managed to push back against the might of Nyx' strength. Nyx used her shield to end the stalemate by slamming it upwards against the robot's arms, forcing Sam to disengage. With a well-aimed strike Nyx made the Titan stagger.

* * *

Before he could regain the balance and momentum, Sam felt the mecha fall on the ground. The sound of screeching metal made him fear the worst. And yes, it was. The controls for the legs went dead. He managed to block another attack by letting the arms hug the cockpit. Sam immediately pushed the emergency button. An instant later he found himself lying in the charred grass. He unlocked the belts and got up on his feet.

He grabbed his staff for a magical offensive, but the goddess ignored him and hacked at the robot until it was in pieces. She flung the carcass out of the way before shrinking back to a regular size.

'Enough games,' she hissed. 'You will no longer stand in my way. I offered you peace, but now I will kill you. You are all alone against me, Nyx…'

'Who said I came alone?' interrupted Sam. He threw two metal cards onto the ground, yet nothing happened. 'I brought some friends.'

Sam summoned fire with his glove while slamming his staff against one of the cards, Demeter as the Empress. The staff stood perfectly upright and glowed in a silvery light. Sam used to the fire to light up the small patch of Greek fire soaked cloth on top. A green flame appeared and burned brightly. Sam backed away.

'What are…'

For a second time, Nyx got interrupted. A silver arrow pierced the wooden staff. Another card was attached to it. The Moon, bearing the image of Artemis. As it touched the cypress wood, it lit up in bright silver light and the actual moonlight seemed to become brighter as well. The goddess of the night turned away.

When she looked again, the staff was gone. In its place stood a full grown cypress tree. The moonlight made the silver leaves shine.

Sam threw one of his daggers at Nyx as she was puzzled by the tree. The bronze blade grazed her arm. Gold blood trickled from the wound. The goddess stared at it and howled.

'What is this?' she asked.

'I think it's physical pain,' said Sam. 'I guess you've never felt it before.'

The goddess snarled and swung her blade at Sam who dodged it before parrying another strike. The mage threw fire at her, but the goddess simply wiped it away. Sam stood behind the tree and evaded another strike, as the black blade got embedded in the wood. The goddess let out a frustrated scream.

'Enough!' Nyx waved her hand and shadows grabbed Sam.

The tentacles pinned him to the ground. He stared at the night sky before angry eyes stared back at him as Nyx loomed over him.

'I will finally have my victory. You're all alone, no more friends to help. I am Nyx…'

'The stupid Primordial,' interjected Sam. 'I was never alone.' He slipped a card from his pocket. 'I just needed more time.' He flicked the card away. It floated to the other one lying in the grass. The Star struck the Hanged man. 'Hope will bring forth change.'

Nyx sneered. 'Hope? You think hope can defeat me? I am the mightiest god alive.'

Sam struggled against the shadow before letting out a laugh. 'Of course hope can defeat you. Especially if she's carrying a blade which she used to kill Pandora.'

'Pandora was defeated by Circe.'

'But I did it first,' spoke a voice from behind her.

Nyx turned around and saw a armoured woman standing beside the tree. She had silver eyes and carried a shield baring a cornucopia. Behind the tree sunlight came from the horizon. The Primordial of Night trembled. 'Impossible.'

'Nothing is impossible if you have me,' said Hope with a smile. 'Although having a plan always helps.'

The Primordial of Hope advanced. She disarmed Nyx after a few exchanges. She nodded at Sam who got back to his feet and joined Hope. Together the two forced Nyx back towards the upcoming rays of sunlight. In a last ditch effort, Nyx manipulated the last shadows to grab Sam and Hope.

'I will return,' she announced as a portal opened next to her. 'Another time, another night.'

'No, you won't,' said Sam releasing a red flare.

A moment later, a shower of plastic casino chips filled with stolen luck rained down upon them. The Wheel of Fortune card lit up and gave Sam a final piece of power. Tapping into his Roman heritage, Sam closed the portal with Janus' help.

Nyx retaliated by arming herself with new blades to attack both of them at once, but never took a single step. A metal card, folded into a sharp arrow head embedded itself into her chest while the golden shaft flickered in the sunlight.

Hope swiftly disarmed the Night as she leaned against the tree. Hope used her shield to push the arrow further in, effectively pinning Nyx to the cypress tree.

'Impossible,' muttered Nyx. 'I am Nyx, the Firstborn.'

Sam approached her. 'And I am Sam, son of murdered parents. And I will have my vengeance.' He unsheathed a dagger adorned with magical symbols.

'Sam, don't.'

Sam turned around. Sarah stood a few feet away, bow still in hand. 'You can't,' she pleaded. 'You're not like her. You're not a murderer. If you kill her, you are not better than her.'

'Yeah, Cook,' said Hunter. 'Be the better man, let her rot in Tartarus.'

Sam stared at the goddess who was bathing in the sunlight. She was weakened, but he could feel the power she held. Power he could hold.

'You want it, don't you?' said Nyx with a ragged voice. 'The power within me. Take it and use it to finish my work.' Nyx gave him a bloody smile.

Sam summoned everything he had left. That power was indeed great, greater than he could imagine. 'I will never finish your work, but I will finish mine.'

Before Hope could stop him, Sam stuck the dagger in her gut.

Ignoring the screams, Sam grasped the hilt tightly in his fist. Strengthened by the power of chance he let the darkness in. Nyx only stared at the mage as her power flowed out of her. Sam resisted the urge to release the red hot blade until he couldn't hold it any longer. He pulled it free and stared at the golden blood dripping from it.

The aching started in his head, slowly spreading through his body. The phantom pain in his leg became worse by the second. Sam fought it with the amassed magical power he held contained. A hand on his shoulder made him turn around.

Hope stared at him with her silver eyes. 'Let it go.' Her voice sounded as if she was under water. Other voices sounded far away.

'Not yet,' he replied. 'Have to do something first.'

A slap across the face barely registered. Sam gave a smile as he felt tickled. 'Don't you dare,' said Sarah poking him in the chest. Teary eyes gave him a glare. 'Don't bring them back. You can't.' Her voice sounded sharper and close by. 'Please, Sam. I grieved for too long.'

'I know,' he said patting her on the head. 'I haven't yet, but I will.' He barely understood what he was saying. His mind worked faster than he could speak. 'I won't bring them back, I promise.'

Sam stretched out his arm. In his hand materialised his staff as if it never turned into the tree. Suddenly his mind stopped racing and he felt the rising sun on his face. 'Do not fear the night, for there is a brand new day ahead.' He faced his friends and gave them a smile. 'Are you guys ready?'

'Always,' said Cate.

'Aye, captain,' replied Damien.

'Give them hell,' sighed Eve.

Sam raised his staff in the air and let go. The magic and power of Nyx sought the target he was looking for. He found her in Tartarus, on her way to reformation. Using a combination of spells, Sam undid her ancient spell. Magic flowed in her and made her cry out in pain until it was done.

The son of Hecate cried out in pain as the power of Nyx started consuming his own. Pain exploded behind his eyes. Using the staff he remained upright. Struggling he made his way back to Nyx, waving away all helping hands. Sam muttered a word which pulled the arrow free and dropped Nyx on the floor.

'Just kill me,' rasped the goddess. Blood seeped from her mouth.

'I. Do Not. Kill,' said Sam between pained breaths. 'I guard.' He placed a hand on Nyx chest and muttered and incantation. Slowly the wound on her chest closed up and her breathing became stable.

With fresh breath in her lungs, the goddess of night laughed for a moment before she coughed and screamed. Her eyes stared at the mage. The look on his face was ecstatic. A feeling of coldness overcame her. She whimpered as she recognized the feeling of fear of the unknown.

He pushed out the last bit of energy he had left for the finale. Seeing how it worked in terms of magic, it was easier to undo. Sam pushed and pulled the magic until it was done. A small ball of golden energy laid in his hand. With a final look at Nyx' outstretched hand, he crushed it, leaving behind black dust to scatter in the wind.

'I win,' he whispered.

A scream came from far away as the world turned around. Before he fell unconscious, Sam saw Hope staring at him with sunlight making the tears shine.


	37. Chapter 37

**AN: First chapter of the end :) Two more to go after this one...**

* * *

 **Chapter 37 Old Dogs, Old Tricks**

 **Sam POV**

Good job Sam, you've really done it now. You saved us all from Nyx and even gave us a fresh start, but nobody will know until you tell them. No, you had to go and be a reckless mage and fall into a coma, again. And now you're in an infirmary again. You don't like that, remember. Now, wake up and tell someone to scratch your leg, it's itching.

'Gods, will someone please scratch my human leg, it's itching,' I pleaded.

'I can't. The cut is still healing,' replied someone.

I opened my eyes and had to blink a few times because the sunlight was filling the room through the large window. An ache spread across my face. Lifting up my arm to touch my nose was hard as it felt so heavy.

'My nose hurts,' I said to the person in the room. my voice sounded weird.

A green eyed woman with a black braid moved into my field of vision. Lou gave me a smile. In her hands she held a bundle of cloth.

'Lou doesn't have a braid,' I replied.

'She does now. It's been two weeks since you've been out and I've decided to change my hairdo.' Lou shifted the bundle of cloth to the other shoulder.

'Two weeks. Gods.'

'Yeah, you've really outdone yourself, Sam.'

'I noted the sarcasm, Lou. I know I made a mistake.' I tried pulling myself upright, but my arms refused to move. 'Want to give me a hand?' With a wave of her hand, Lou helped me and the bed into an upright sitting position.

Being able to see through the window, I spotted the Oakland Hills in the distance and the silvery tree. We were still at Jupiter. 'How is everybody?'

'Mostly fine. John recovered from the Flood pretty quickly, Suzan needed a bit more time. Mia was tired after the battle, but she's fine now. Jade and Ronan got wounded in skirmishes, but they'll live. And I am still tired as I need to take care of two children.' She gave me a playful glare before checking on the baby.

'Nyx didn't break my nose.'

'Sarah did after you woke up a first time and said something about being sorry. She'll relieve me in about twenty minutes.' The cloth moved.

'Looks like someone's awake,' I said trying to ignore the pain and the empty feeling.

'She is.' Lou took a seat next to me and showed me a healthy baby with green eyes. The clothes she was wearing were black and yellow. 'Aurora, meet Sam, your third uncle.'

The baby made a noise. 'Hi, Aurora, nice to meet you. Aurora as in dawn in Latin?'

Lou nodded. 'She was born the moment you defeated Nyx and dawn was in motion. Seemed fitting.'

'Aurora "Bumblebee" Blackstone, has a nice ring don't you think?'

'She's a Perkins and our siblings have decided to call her bee or wasp. The choice hasn't been made yet. Like true Hecate children.' Lou let out a smothered laugh. 'God's Sam, I was so worried when they told me you'd fallen.'

'You know me, Lou. I won't die that easily,' I replied trying to sound cool.

'Yeah, she might make it a bit easier.'

Moments later, the door flung open and a legionnaire wearing a purple shirt and armoured skirt and shin guards walked into my room. Sarah gave Lou and Aurora a warm welcome, but sent me a icy look.

'He's all yours. I have to go feed her. Try not to hurt him too much.' A moment later, Lou had vanished.

'Could you drop the look?' I asked. 'My body hurts all over and my nose is broken, again.'

Sarah snorted. 'And why is that? You sacrificed yourself again and then you wake up to tell me, "I'm sorry", again,' she stressed. Sarah opened her messenger bag and pulled out a package. A piece of cloth wrapped around something rectangular.

'What's that?'

Sarah opened it and fanned out twenty-two metal cards. Five of them untouched, while the others were blackened. 'The cards. The Fool.' She threw it on the bed. 'The High Priestess, Temperance, Strength and the Judgement card.'

'I didn't use the Devil in combat. What happened?'

'We guessed you might have used it unconsciously. It happened after Nyx started screaming and you fell down. The card lit up and in that moment Nyx vanished. The gods appeared moments later and made every monster disappear. Kampê was killed by Athena and Hera working together. Typhon has been banished back to Tartarus.'

'Nice.' Sarah glared at me.

'The gods had a victory celebration where all of us were given praise. Circe was offered a place on Olympus, but she declined and asked for her island to be restored. She's going to use it as a safe haven for demigods and demi-titans. Suzan was given Athena's blessing for fighting Nyx on her own. Lupa has declared the day for festivities in the future.' She sighed.

'Then they wanted to talk about you with you being present, but Harley refused to wake you up. That woman is scary, Sam. She told them that while under her care in any medical facility, she was to be considered a god and violation of territory would be unwise. Mister D gave her his blessing.'

'But that's not all is it?'

'They all said that they couldn't sense your magical signature anymore. As if it had been burned away. Did you do it on purpose?' she added with a broken voice. 'Did you sacrifice magic to save us all from the curse?'

'I did,' I replied. 'It was the only way I could carry Nyx' power. I did lift the curse from the prophecy and sent Nyx away with almost everything I had.'

'Almost?' The surprised look on her face made me smile.

I showed her the Fool card. A tingling feeling ran from my fingertips. 'I loaded all twenty-two cards with magic before we waged war. Five remain. Five cards that hold my magic.'

Sarah let out a laugh. 'Always have a decent kicker, isn't it?'

I grinned.

* * *

'It's not nice to lie to your sister, Sam,' admonished Hecate. The goddess of magic stared at the boy sitting in bed. Her gaze drifted to the badge pinned to her robe. It defined as a visitor.

Sam shrugged as he stuffed a piece of potato in his mouth and chomped down. 'I didn't tell a full lie. They hold my magic, what's left of it.'

'Stop shrugging. It's a gesture that says nothing. Speak out.'

'What do you want me to tell you, mom? That I made a mistake that will get me killed one day. Nyx is gone and we're a little bit safer. And once another enemy rises, we will join forces once again to fight it. Like we have been doing for ages.'

'You sound like Alabaster when you say that.'

'I have come to understand his views a lot better since they had me exiled. The Olympians demand a lot, yet give so little in return. If I hadn't called Hades or Pluto back to us, Nyx' forces would've overrun us eventually.'

Hecate nodded. 'But try to moderate this feeling, Sam. Zeus and Lupa have been gentle until now because of Joanne's threats, but once you are ready, you will be summoned to Olympus. And no amount of magic will help you up there.'

Sam shrugged again. 'Maybe I can keep them from killing me if I get then chance to persuade them.'

'You were… are a great mage, but you have a sharp tongue. Until your magic fully returns to you, you'll need to use your other skills to save you, which means shutting up when needed.'

Sam shot his mother a puzzled look. 'What do you mean, return?'

Hecate let out a warm laugh. 'My child, do you honestly think that you lost magic forever? You are my offspring, magic is in your blood. It will be a long time full of hardship and frustration, but magic will return to you. Use whatever you have left however you want, but know that once the cards are used, you will have to wait.'

Hecate gave her son a hug before vanishing. Sam stared at the moon while playing with a deck of cards.

* * *

A couple of days later, Sam strolled across the grass of Camp Half-Blood on his way to the camp shop. He had volunteered as the shopkeeper for the week which meant that he could skip a couple of classes in the morning.

He checked the inventory and restocked the shelves with the supplies. Fresh camp shirts hung and laid around the large room. Whetstones were neatly stacked, next to a couple of daggers. Racks of arrows were mounted on the walls.

'So, you're opening sooner now?'

Sam turned around and saw Cali standing there, sword neatly stored in a scabbard whilst not wearing armour.

'Yeah, it's pretty chill and it gets me out of the cabin for a few hours. With everybody gone for the year, it get's pretty empty fast. Lou comes to visit occasionally, but they might settle at the West-Coast, so it won't be so easy for her to be here every week.'

'You've made up your mind then about being a year-rounder?'

'Yeah. With the house being sold, Sarah safe at Jupiter and school not exactly working out, I'll be here for most of the year. Might go to Jupiter next semester though, I don't know.'

'Cool. How much for a whetstone?'

'Two drachma's. Anything else?'

'Yeah, you still selling snacks?' she whispered.

Sam nodded. He waved her to the back. Behind a stack of boxes, stood a large closet. Once opened it showed its contents. Chips, M&M's, candy and home-made snacks by Sam neatly packaged in small bags.

'The oregano and basil cornucopias were so good last time. Have any of those?'

'A drachma a bag.'

'I'll take two.'

Cali lingered for a few minutes. They talked for a bit about nothing in particular.

'Why don't you join me for some sword practice?' said Cali. 'Just the two of us? Say three?'

'Sure. I'll bring some extra snacks.'

'Deal.'

Their hands touched as they exchanged the money and goods. The two stared at each other before Cali quickly disappeared almost bumping into Piper McLean on her way out.

'Hi, Piper,' said Sam as he wrote down the earnings in the ledger.

The daughter of Aphrodite shot him a look with a smile. 'I see that Cali came to see you.'

'She came to buy a whetstone,' said Sam defensively.

'She bought one last week too, didn't she? Last time I checked, those stones last quite long.'

'Maybe she lost the first one.' Sam shrugged.

'Of course, silly me.' Piper laughed as Sam turned red. 'I'll take two shirts, some sharpies and a new toothbrush. I can put it on my tab, right?' She shot him another smile.

'No,' deadpanned Sam. 'That'll be eight for the shirts, two for the two packs sharpies and one for the toothbrush.'

'Those are outrageous prices! How about I give you seven drachmas?'

'Pipes, I may have lost most of my magic, but charmspeaking me won't work. I can give you one shirt instead of two and everything else.'

'Fine,' muttered the counsellor of the Aphrodite cabin depositing her money on the counter with the look of a sad puppy.

Sam shook his head and slid one back to her. 'The toothbrush is on me. But please stop letting your cabin mates use your brush for cleaning. Have Circe give it a protective charm so that only you can touch it. And maybe you ought to get to the bottom as to why people would use your toothbrush.'

'Maybe I let them, because I can swindle one from you. Who says I need charmspeak to get my way?' Piper gave him a wink before leaving.

Sam only smiled as he counted out the seven drachmas out loud. He looked at the stack of Lotus Casino chips behind a plaque that had lost a brother for the cause. 'Yeah, who says I need magic to make you see things you don't?'

A curse from outside the shop made him laugh out loud.

* * *

Later that week, Sam, Cali and Damien were sitting on the stone benches of the amphitheatre as an Iris message materialized in front of them.

'Sam, can you see me?' asked Hunter. The background showed Olympus.

'Yes, Hunter,' replied Sam. 'You joining Artemis on Olympus?'

Hunter nodded. 'The Olympians have discussed some things, and they want to see you. Hestia will come and get you in an hour. Get prepared and then meet her at the hearth.'

'Will do, see you later.'

Hunter made the cloud vanish from her end. The image dissolved and the three friends were silent.

'Took them long enough,' muttered Sam. 'What does she mean with getting prepared?'

Damien shrugged. 'Bring something? Like a gift?'

'Just be yourself and don't insult the gods. We'd like to see you again.'

'Speak for yourself,' said Damien. 'I'd like to win a couple of card games once a while.'

Sam chuckled. 'At least you can win against Cali.'

'True.'

The daughter of the sea muttered something about whooping butts before the boys made their escape.

An hour later, Sam found himself standing close to the hearth of Half-Blood. He had chosen to wear a plain camp shirt with a pair of cargo pants and topped it off with a dark-coloured cloak.

The fire in the hearth grew bigger and from the fire stepped a young girl with red eyes wearing a simple dress. Sam gave the goddess a hug. She was pleasantly warm.

'Hestia.'

'Sam. You ready?'

'No, but that's not an option is it.'

'I am afraid not. Let us go. Hunter is waiting for us.'

Sam let the goddess go. They held hands as Hestia made the flames grow bigger. The flames formed a doorway which showed Olympus on the other side. Hestia guided both of them through.

Once through, Sam was immediately grabbed into a tight hug by a silver clad girl. He returned the hug.

'Gods, I thought you died after the who stabbing Nyx thing,' said Hunter after letting go.

'Nah, I don't die that easily. I think that secretly Hades is scared to have me in his domain,' said Sam with a grin.

'Trust me, that is not the case,' said Hunter.

'We are running a bit late. Let us go.' Hestia walked on the pathway to the throne room. Sam and Hunter followed right after her.


	38. Chapter 38

**AN: Hi, penultimate chapter is here. Hope you enjoy.**

 **AN II: Looks like I have been misspelling the God of Wine's name for two full stories and nobody bothered to tell me :p**

* * *

 **Chapter 38 Conqueror**

The doors fell closed once they'd stepped inside. Sam felt the power radiating from the thirteen gods sitting on their thrones. Only Zeus was dressed in a regal looking toga. The other gods had chosen for a more informal look. Poseidon was dressed in his fisherman garb, while Hades wore a tailored black suit. An opal ring shined on his finger.

Athena and Ares were both leisurely dressed for war as they wore casual clothes combined with pieces of armour. Apollo was dressed in summer clothes, is white shirt radiated. Artemis was dressed in a silver dress with fur lining.

Mister D wore his traditional Hawaiian shirt, while Demeter wore an overall and gardening gloves. Hera wore a burgundy dress with peacock feathers. Hephaestus wore a black leather apron, whilst Hermes was dressed in a casual pair of jeans and shirt bearing a globe. Aphrodite for once wore a rather simple dress, but it still made her look beautiful.

Turning away, Sam also spotted minor gods standing in the throne room. His mother shot him a look, while Circe gave him a small wave. Lupa stood next to Janus while Hope gave him a nod. He didn't immediately recognize the other gods.

'Come forth, son of Hecate,' said Hera once she had managed to quiet the other Olympians.

Sam remained frozen until Hunter and Hestia gave him a gentle nudge. Hestia retreated herself to the hearth but continued to watch. Sam slowly made his way to the small spot in front of Zeus and Hera. The god of thunder brushed his fingers along the lines of the Master Bolt until Hera swatted his hand away.

'My lords, my ladies,' spoke Sam courteously with a small bow.

'You are nervous, are you not?' asked Hera.

'Yes, lady Hera,' stammered Sam. He tightened his grasp on his staff.

'Last time you were here, you were not. What changed?' asked Ares.

'Everything, lord Ares,' replied Sam truthfully. 'I was exiled, brought back, my sister is safe with the Romans.' He glanced at Lupa who nodded. 'I brought every drop of power I had against Nyx and managed to defeat her at the cost of my magic.'

'Yet Nyx still lives,' said Artemis. 'But we can't seem to find her. The same goes for Pandora.'

'Pandora's essence was scattered by Circe, sister,' replied Athena. 'It will take her a couple of eons to reform. But Nyx was not killed, nor scattered.'

'And I confirm that,' said Hades with a grumbling voice. 'She is not in Tartarus, or in Hades.'

'Maybe we can listen to the plan the demigod put in play once they vanished to Camp Half-Blood. I get the big picture of what happened, but I'd like to hear some details,' asked Lupa.

The other Olympians murmured in agreement amongst them. Hera motioned Sam to continue.

'Before I start, could I ask Mister…, sorry Dionysius, a question?' Sam turned to the screaming Hawaiian shirt.

'Humour me,' mocked Dionysius.

'Did you take a sip of my flask when Nyx breached our agreement? If not, do you mind giving it back? I could use something to drink.'

'I did not,' said Mister D. 'It seemed inappropriate.' He pulled the tiny flask from his breast pocket and threw it at Sam.

He snatched it from the air and opened it. A scent drifted from the opening which made Dionysius' eyes grow big. Sam took a swig and grimaced at the sharp taste.

'I don't know how you can drink this, but I really thought this might've helped.'

'There's wine in there?' asked Athena with a raised eyebrow. 'You gave him wine and he resisted? You didn't drink?'

'I thought he was joking,' stammered Dionysius. 'Is there any left?' he enquired.

'A sip.'

'Father? It's been ages.'

'No,' declaimed Zeus. 'Tell us your story, demigod. If it pleases me, I might not smite you.'

Sam felt the sharp taste again as the drink rose back up. He cleared his throat.

'I admit I was never going to fully go with the plan Annabeth and Reyna and the other leaders had designed,' started Sam. 'Once my memories were returned, the bad ones came to me in the forms of nightmares. The death of my parents could have been avoided if Nyx hadn't gone after me, and every night I was reminded of this.

From that moment I decided that Nyx had to pay and I would have my vengeance. The memory of what happened here was crucial to my plan. If was able to see the magic to evade the lighting bolt, the skill would help me against Nyx. So what did I do? I trained my other skills while amassing magical power.'

Sam took a moment to steady his breathing.

'As the leader of the Wild Cards I would have the freedom around the battlefield to make my way to Nyx. So, my crew had me signed up, seemingly against my will. I was never going to let anyone else take my place.

It was then always the plan to create a diversion with Percy and Annabeth in the leading role, Nyx seriously wanted their blood. Suzan switched places with Annabeth for this part of the plan and managed to keep her busy long enough for me to get the necessary equipment.

The mecha was still loaded with magical after all this time and would give me the edge against Nyx. Together with the cards Sarah made, I was at my peak and even that was not enough,' finished Sam with a wry smile.

'But what did you do once Hope arrived?' asked Athena.

'Remember that I could see the magic? With all the magic concentrated around the silver cypress tree, with Hope and the chance magic it was so easy to see how the immortality part of her magic was connected and how it was working. It took me every ounce of strength to take it from her and use it.

I was going to use it to bring back my parents from the dead. That would've been so easy.' Sam's breathing grew heavier and he turned away from the gods as he wiped his eyes. A hand squeezed his shoulder. Hunter gave him a warm smile. Sam nodded before returning to the gods. 'The power of Nyx was incredible. The possibilities were endless. I could've eradicated every monster at Camp Jupiter with a snap of my fingers, I could have razed Olympus with my fist.'

'Then why didn't you? You could've had your vengeance on all of us.' said Artemis. 'We had you exiled.'

'You still do not understand it do you, lady Artemis?' Sam asked, letting venom seep in his tone. 'Hope, what did I say to Nyx when she was mocking me?'

The goddess of Hope stepped forward and turned to the Olympians. 'I think it was something like this: "I do not kill, I guard".'

'I lost two fathers and a mother,' declaimed Sam. 'I lost my sister, my friends and now I have given up magic. Lady Athena, would you be so kind as to give your fellow Olympians my fatal flaw?'

Athena stared at Sam with a focussed look. 'To save others on your own, even by the cost of your own life. I think I see where you are going with this.'

'Then maybe you could explain it to your sister?'

Sam glanced at his mother who gave him the evil eye and mouthed a word. _Tongue_.

'He wanted to kill us all for doing what we did,' started Athena. 'Or at least the idea crossed his mind. But even with a grudge to bear, he knows what it is like to lose people you love. The love for his sister knows no bounds. It was her word that made you change your mind,' she directed that last comment back to Sam who nodded.

'I have always wanted to use my magic to save others. So I did, even if it meant hurting my mother's feelings.'

'Hecate, what does he mean?' demanded Hera turning the Council's attention to the goddess of magic.

'Tell them which curse you lifted with Nyx' powers,' said my mother.

'I destroyed the Lamia's curse,' told Sam with a smirk. 'She cursed all demigods with a scent which monsters could smell. A smell so powerful the children of the Big Three were never safe, nor their mortal parents. Sally was nearly killed by the Minotaur, wasn't she, lord Poseidon?

How many stories have I heard about Percy, Thalia and Nico being chased by monsters, even now, years after having defeated Kronos and Gaea? How many of us died before they could reach the camps because of the scent? How many?'

'Are you going to let that boy speak to you like that, brother?' asked Zeus to Poseidon. His fingers brushed the Master Bolt again.

'Yes, Zeus, I will,' sighed Poseidon. 'Because he is right. Have any of us ever done anything to have the curse destroyed or reversed? Sally married a horrible man to protect my son, an act for which I can never repay her.'

'To lift the curse, Sam had to hurt the Lamia to her very core,' said Hecate. 'Even with her being a monster, I still care for my daughter. As I do for all my children.'

'So you made Nyx' powers your own, used it to lift the curse and then what?' asked Demeter. 'What happened to Nyx?'

Sam showed the goddess of Harvest a grin. 'I made her mortal.'

All gods fell silent. Thirteen Olympians stared at the demigod before them. It is fair to say that some felt a tinge of fear. Zeus let his fingers brush over the Master Bolt, only for them to be swatted away again.

'I made her mortal and scattered her immortal essence. I think I gave some of it to her daughters, albeit unconsciously. Do you feel anything, Hope?'

'Not really,' replied the goddess.

Sam shrugged. 'I guess it was carried away in the wind.'

'Alright,' said Hera. 'And to where did you transport Nyx after you made her mortal?'

'Honestly, I have no idea,' said Sam with a defensive gesture. 'I was busy not fully dying again, so I did something, but I don't know what. And maybe it's for the better. Maybe you'd have people trying to bring her back if they knew where she was.'

'I agree,' said Athena. 'Not knowing where she is, might be safer.'

The other Olympians murmured in agreement. Moments later Zeus declared the matter closed. He turned his attention to Sam again.

'You were unavailable when we did the celebration of the other heroes. I think we can have yours now.' Zeus nodded.

'For your heroic efforts against Nyx and her army, we would like to offer you the chance of becoming a god,' said Hera. 'I think he could be a good minor god of magic under the tutelage of his mother. How about we make him the god of Heroes?' Some other Olympians nodded. 'What do you say?'

'I am flattered you would give me the opportunity, but I do not want to be a god,' said Sam. 'I would like to be a demigod for a while longer. Besides, you need sacrifice for success, right?'

Nemesis let out a soft chuckle.

'Then what do you want, Sam?' asked Poseidon. 'We will grant you anything within our power. We could restore your magical abilities.'

Sam shook his head. 'I don't need magic anymore to live my life. It's time I start living outside the demigod world. I have a request for you and your brothers, lord Poseidon.' Sam nodded at Zeus.

'Speak,' demanded the Lord of the Sky.

'I would like to have the same rights you gave my mother, lord Zeus. I want to be able to safely, which means with your divine protection, to enter the domains of the sky and sea. This protection will also apply to any of my friends and family who travel with me.'

'It shall be done,' said Zeus.

'You mother also has the ability to walk in my domain,' interrupted Hades.

'I know, lord Hades. I have already visited your domain once and escaped. The next time I enter it, I will have died peacefully in my sleep after having lived a long and good life. I have no intention of ever returning to the land of the dead before that.'

'It is impolite to lie to gods, Sam,' said Hades. 'For making the world safer for my children, I will grant you one last visit, no strings attached. Whenever you are ready.'

Sam nodded before blinking heavily.

'It is not all, is it?' said Hera.

Sam shook his head wiping his eyes. 'A final request I have for you all is that you could do more for the mortals. And I want you to. See this thing?' Sam pointed at the bronze leg. 'Why don't you give the technology to the mortals? It would make life easier. Why don't you help us with the problems we face? Without mortals and demigods, you would not live.

And something else. I know that we all have something for the Ancient Greek time, but it is the twenty-first century. Ever heard of cell-phones? And the internet? Why don't you give us demigods some of that too? Without the curse, the monster tracking thing should be resolved, right?'

'We shall look into it,' said Athena with a nod to Hephaestus.

'Thank you.'

'That's it? Nothing else?' asked Artemis.

'Well there is one last thing. Let Dionysius have a drink every decade. He's been punished hard enough, don't you think? You know, kids running around screaming and having fun is hard for a sour old man like Mister D. Maybe you give him some wine every once in a while to get him in a better mood.'

'I will think about it,' said Zeus. 'Now leave, demigod. We have important thing to discuss.'

Lupa locked eyes with Sam for a single moment as the demigod lingered. A wolf like grin appeared on her human face. She stepped forward and spoke.

'I have something to add, lord of the sky. The boy has a question. Speak, boy,' she stressed.

Sam gave the gods a nervous glance. 'Any way you could get the tattoo removed? The thing itches like crazy.'

The wolf goddess let out a laugh. In an instant a paw stood on the tattoo bearing the word exile and made it light up. Sam let out a grunt as a warm feeling spread beneath the fuzzy limb. Once she removed her paw, the goddess stared him in the eye.

'I will inform the Senate and legion that you are welcome once again, my honorary legionnaire. Your sister will be safe within our borders,' whispered the goddess.

'Thank you, Lady Lupa,' Sam replied.

'New Rome awaits your arrival. School starts after Christmas.'

As Sam joined Hunter towards the hearth, he looked over his shoulder. Aphrodite shot him a worried look. He shook off the feeling and stared at the new tattoo on his forearm. It bore the image of Janus' theatre masks and Hecate's torch and key, but beneath it stood the adage: "Audentis Fortuna iuvat." _Fortune favours the bold_. He smiled. 'Romans.'


	39. Chapter 39

**AN: The final chapter for Iron Fate is here! I really enjoyed writing this piece of fiction. Hope you enjoyed it too. I have one more story in my mind to write. It'll be a alternative universe highschool story featuring the Seven in a prominent role with my favourite OC's as well :) Let me know if you'd like to read it.**

* * *

 **Chapter 39 The Demigod Life**

 **Sam POV**

I stared at the tattoo on my arm. _Fortune favours the bold._ Or the brave, I thought. The faint moonlight made the fresh ink stand out even more. Winter was coming closer by the day, but the magic of camp still made it feel like a late summer day. I felt an involuntary smile appear on my face as I realized what I did.

'I really got to stop angering gods,' I said to the sea.

'That would wise.'

I turned around to see a goddess sitting on the wooden log next to me. Her hair was the colour of caramel, with bright blue eyes. Even in her simple attire consisting of a long sleeved dress with a dove pin. With her, she brought two simple lanterns.

'Lady Aphrodite,' I said with a nod. 'You didn't seem to be that angry with me.'

'I am the goddess of love, Sam. You're smart enough to know that love is a strong emotion, maybe even too strong.' Aphrodite showed me a sad smile. 'You radiate love for your sister and lost parents. It was that love that drove you to do what you did, even until the end.'

'You're going towards a point, aren't you?' I balled my hands into fists.

'You need to love yourself before you can love others, Sam. The hate you feel for yourself is overwhelming. It was never your fault, none of it.'

I unclenched my fists and let go. Tears sprung from my eyes and blurred my vision of the sea. 'I just miss them so much.' I let out a wail as I felt a hug wrapping around me. The scent of apples filled my nostrils.

'You've been so strong,' whispered Aphrodite. 'The exile, the betrayal, the hardship and the lost time to grieve. And then you defeated Nyx and her army. Let yourself be fragile for a while Sam. Let people in and take your time to grieve.'

Aphrodite gently rubbed my back as I let every ounce of grief go. By the time I had no more tears to cry, my chest ached and my throat felt raw. The goddess of love handed me a cup of cold water. I drank it within seconds.

'Thank you,' I said handing the cup back to her.

'I should thank you,' she replied. 'With the curse gone, my children are safer. They always were safer than Poseidon's or Hades' children, but you gave all of our future children a chance. If you like, I could grant you some power as my champion, or even give Calliope a little nudge towards you.' Aphrodite gave me an amused look with that last remark.

'That is very kind of you, lady Aphrodite, but I won't be needing either of said gifts. I want to find my own way. No blessings, no magic, just me, my metal leg and a deck of cards.' I let out a laugh.

'Spoken like a real demigod. If I may give you one final piece of advice before I depart?'

I nodded. Sometimes you have to listen to a god.

'Never let her win on purpose.'

And with that, the goddess of love left me sitting staring at the sea from which she was born.

* * *

'You know that the harpies go after you if you stay out after dark, right?' said Eve as she cleaned out the scrapes and cuts on Sam's arms the next morning.

'Oh really, like I did not notice giant bird ladies swooping past me, clawing at me. Thank Hecate, they don't like going near the cabin.' Sam winced as Eve dabbed the largest cuts with disinfectant. 'Your bedside manner could use a touch up.'

'She's doing an excellent job,' remarked Harley from across the room. 'She's teaching you not to be stupid.'

Sam groaned at the two medics giving him a friendly smile. Another groan escaped his lips as Eve plastered his arms with a collection of Greek Hero Band-Aid's they kept for the younger demigods.

'It's all we have left until the new supplies come in,' she said as Sam gave her a displeased look. 'Oh, look there's the delivery.' Eve pointed at one of her cabin members who came in with a trolley stocked with fresh material.

'You guys are the worst,' he huffed as Eve helped him get his T-shirt back on.

'Yeah, that's why you have a personal bed in this hospital,' remarked Harley with a smile.

Sam only sighed and stomped out of the room with chuckles following him until he left the place.

* * *

Later that day, Sam stood opposite Calliope in the arena, wielding a wooden training sword and a round shield bearing the image of a roaring lion. She had the same gear, yet her shield featured an image of the Kraken.

Sam made the first move. He jabbed at Calli, who simply dodged the weapon. Sam tried a slashing attack, but she simply swatted away his sword with her own. Quickly, the daughter of the sea brought her weapon closer to him. A yelp escaped his lips as the heavy wooden blade struck his arm.

'Ow, ow, ow,' he cried. 'Stupid harpies,' he hissed.

'That makes three-one,' grinned Calliope. 'You ready for another round?'

'Give me a sec.' Sam replaced the strap of the shield to a piece of skin that wasn't covered, swung his blade around for a minute and took a defensive stance.

Calliope attacked, not giving her opponent any rest. Striking shield and sword, she pushed him back. As she stabbed at his human leg, the attack was blocked by the shield slamming down on the blade. With the momentum lost, a jab to the shoulder cost her the point.

'That makes three-two. Wanna go again?' Sam showed her his trademark grin.

She rubbed her shoulder for a minute and took a stance. Their swords collided hard and fast, the sound echoing against the empty arena. As their weapons locked together, the mage twisted them quickly, forcing the girl to let go. A gentle nudge to the chest ended the round.

'Three all round. Next point wins?'

Calliope nodded as she picked up her sword. Waving it in the air cleared off the last grains of sand. The two opponents circled each other for a minute before they attacked again. Jabs, taps and strikes were fired off in a fast sequence. Blocking and dodging the attacks of the other, both demigods grew tired in the afternoon sun. Once again they found themselves with locked weapons. Pushing towards one another, they stood closer to each other, almost nose to nose.

Feeling the energy in his arms depleting fast, Sam made a desperate move. He pushed closer and pressed his lips against hers. He could taste the sea salt on her lips, still there from her morning swim in the ocean. Then he froze as she pushed back with her lips.

The feeling of warmth spread through her chest as she pushed back with her own lips. The salt on hers mixed with the taste of sugar on his. It meant that they would have cake as an extra dessert tonight. In her mind she grinned as she felt him tense up, yet loosening his tension on the blades. Without letting go, she brought down her sword and swooped him of his feet. Their sweet and salty embrace was torn apart as he tumbled down. Within a second, she jabbed him in the chest, having him gasp for breath.

Calliope dropped her gear and offered him a hand to get back up. Sam took it, but gave it a quick pull to have her fall down as well. Giggling the two found themselves face to face again. Staring into her storming eyes, the mage reconnected their salty and sweet embrace.

A single dove flew away from the arena.

* * *

'So, you and Calli?' asked Hunter. The silver-haired maiden of Artemis gave him a fish to cook on the fire.

They sat on the beach of Camp-Half Blood, preparing the fish for the meal of that night. The Hunter had gathered the fish (although Sam believed she had help from a certain sea god), and left them to be cooked for the main course of the evening. Even as Christmas was days away, camp still was having lovely weather.

'What about us?'

'Oh, don't give me that. I heard rumours about you two smooching in the arena. Eve said that you guys looked very happy with each other once you got back from "training". The Hunter gave her friend a look with sly smile and a raised eyebrow.

'You guys talk about us?' Sam finished cleaning the last fish.

Hunter shook her head. 'Calli talked to Eve, we both talked to Calli and now we are talking to each other. You haven't asked anyone for some advice? Not even Lou?' Hunter gave him a look that said _Yes, I know you talked to her and/or Charlotte_.

'Alright, I did talk to Lou about what I should do. We've been together before and this is a bit weird considering we broke up.' Sam decided not to mention the conversation he had with Piper. She had given him some solid advice.

'Well, don't break up again. You guys were made for each other. She is the only one who can control your chaotic mind, while you can give her awesome food to eat.'

'That's all I am to you guys isn't it? A food maker.'

'If you did the dishes too, it would be even better,' replied Hunter with a laugh which stopped once a piece of fish gut was sticking to her cheek which made Sam laugh out loud.

* * *

Once the evening had started, the demigods found themselves enjoying a nice meal and good company. Sam and Calli sat next to each other holding hands under the table, while Hunter and Cate were lobbing pieces of bread at each other. Eve and Damien were talking to each other and one might even say that something was brewing between them, until Cate hit Damien with a piece of bread in the eye which had Eve go into medic mode. Eve ignored Damien as she examined his eye. George and Jess shared a second piece of chocolate cake using a single spoon.

'Are we opening the presents now?' asked Cate impatiently. A mischievous glint covering her eyes.

'Go ahead. Who was your secret Santa?' asked George.

'You.'

Cate handed over a small box to George who opened it to find a wrench inside.

George laughed. 'I've been looking everywhere for this one. Did you find it?'

'In your workstation,' replied the daughter of Hermes with a grin.

As he was shaking his head, George handed his gift to Hunter. The maiden opened her present to find a piece of perfectly cut crystal on a metal holder. Fiddling with the smalls dials made the holder get bigger or smaller.

'It's a Iris crystal,' said Hunter. 'You only need a light source to make a call with this. Thanks, George.'

'You're welcome. Your turn.'

Hunter gave a small wrapped present to Calli. The granddaughter of Poseidon opened the gift and pulled out a bronze tooth on a necklace string. She slipped it on. Once it touched her skin, Calliope felt the warmth coming from it.

'It's a bear tooth and an enchanted knife. A girl can never have too many blades within reach. You're up.'

'Thanks, Hunter. Eve, these are for you. I hope you like them.'

Calli handed a pouch to Eve. From the pouch the daughter of Apollo retrieved a pair of sea shell earrings. 'Took me ages to find two of the same sea shells on the beach.'

'These are awesome, Calli. Jess, this is for you.' Eve dropped a pouch in front of her sister. 'You've earned them.'

Jess opened up her gift and showed two patches to the rest of them. One was a patch of two arrows crossed over an archery target. The second one was a square one with a red cross in the middle and a rod of Asclepius on either side.

'Are you serious, no joke?'

'No joke, you studied hard and worked even harder,' said Eve. 'You're a full-fledged healer now, Jess.'

'Thanks Eve. Sam, this is yours.' Jess gave Sam a wrapped box.

Once he unwrapped it, it showed him a black box, bearing golden aces. The inside of the box was just the right size for a deck of playing cards.

'Thanks, Jess. This is cool.' Sam fished a fresh deck from his pocket and placed it in the box. 'Damien, this is yours.' Sam gave the son of Nemesis a pouch. 'I hope you can put it to good use.'

Damien opened the pouch and pulled out a hand full of casino chips, from the Lotus and others. 'Neat. Well then, I guess I go last. Enjoy, Cate.' Damien threw her a leather bound case.

The daughter of Hermes opened it and let out a chuckle as she showed the others a new set of lock picks which made the others chuckle as well.

Hunter lifted up her silver cup and the others joined her. 'I guess this is the last time that we will be together for a while as I will be leaving soon with my fellow Hunters. Not all monsters made their way to Tartarus; Sam and Calli will go to New Rome for school, which will be funny to watch as Sam is still struggling with the Romans and Sarah is going to make him suffer.'

Sam stuck out his tongue in response.

'To us, a good meal and a merry Christmas.'

'Hear, hear,' toasted Sam.

The others joined in.

* * *

'I suppose I could thank you.'

Sam finished packing up the last of his bags. The Romans were waiting for his arrival as some people wanted to talk to him before school was officially starting. The words "failed summer school" had fallen in the heated discussion between Lou and Sam as she had appeared on the doorstep earlier that day.

Sam turned around to see a man in a Hawaiian shirt standing in the doorway. A can of Diet Coke clasped in his hand, a vine covered staff in the other. Fresh grapes were growing from it.

'Don't mention it, Mister D. You have been punished long enough. Besides, I wasn't kidding when I said that looking after screaming kids can be tiring.' Sam took a seat in the couch as he stared at the fireplace that was still going strong.

'You turned down Aphrodite's offer of becoming a champion,' replied Dionysius as he took a seat next to the demigod. 'It is because she offered it or…'

'Because I don't want to be one. For no god.' Sam gave the god a look.

Mister D smiled. 'You had me fooled for a moment, but old you is still in there. Trust me, Sam, we won't forget what you did, I won't forget. Care to play one last game with an old demigod? You can choose.'

Mister D waved his hand and the table at which they played appeared in the room.

'Let's play a game of War, for old times' sake.'

They took a seat and Sam picked the deck of cards from the black box to play with. With practiced hands and fingers, the cards were shuffled thoroughly. Cut into two neat and equal stacks, Sam handed one to the god.

After a couple of games, the god placed a stack of drachma on the table. 'You care to play for some money?'

'Are you ready to lose it?'

'Always so cocky, yet so foolish.'

Sam eventually lost several drachma to the god of wine and parties. With his last cards Sam placed his last coins on the line. An ace of hearts won from his king of clubs. Mister D collected the cards and the coins. The golden disks disappeared into one of his pockets.

Say, Sam. Care to play one last card? If I win, you tell me where you've put Nyx. If you win, I'll make the Romans give you pass on summer school.'

'I don't know, Mister D. It's not as if I can remember where I sent her off to, I was barely conscious at the time. It's more a feeling, a hunch.'

'I'll take it.' The god popped a grape into his mouth.

'Then let's play.'

The god dealt the deck in two. He handed Sam a card and picked another. 'On the count of three. One.'

'Two.'

'Three.'

They flipped the cards. A Jack of Spades for Mister D, a six of Clubs for Sam.

'Guess I lose,' said Sam with a shrug.

'Where did you send her?'

'Somewhere I thought they might help her with some problems she had, you know with the hate for a couple of kids, her daughter and such? A safe place where they can keep her safe from others and from herself. I wasn't thinking straight, maybe I wanted to teleport myself to such a place. Anyway, I got to go finish packing.'

Sam said goodbye to the god and went up the stairs.

Mister D gathered the cards. Something was off about them. He checked the cards again. The sixes were all at the bottom of the deck, while the Jack of Spades was flanked by a Queen of Spades and a King of Hearts. Dionysius shook his head as he placed the cards back into the box and left Cabin 20 with another secret to keep.

* * *

She was staring at a grey ceiling. Her head felt heavy and she seemed to sink away into the bed. Leather straps held her arms and legs in place as the orderly and nurse were giving her a check-up. Her fingers were clawing at the think material in the mittens.

'Nova, do you know why we had to secure you?' asked the nurse.

Nova. It was what they called her. They had told her, her name was Nova Knight. She had tried and tried to convince them she was Nyx, the goddess of the night. They had given her the time to tell her story and then the blonde-haired lady had spoken to her. Told her the story couldn't be true. She was Nova Knight, a woman who was ill and that she was here to become better.

'I am not Nova. My name… My name is Nyx. I am the goddess of the Night. I will raze Olympus to the ground.'

'Phoebe, call Dr. Ocean, she needs to see her.' Phoebe left the room.

'Please, don't call her,' she pleaded. 'That woman is the devil. She puts thoughts in my head.'

'Now, now,' cooed Elizabeth, the nurse orderly, as she stoked her hair. 'That's not a nice thing to say, Nova. We know it's hard for you, but you got to let us help you. We all want you to become better.'

'No, you don't, you hag,' she spat. 'You want to keep me here so that I can be monitored and kept quiet about what really is going on.' She breathed in. 'Listen to me!' she screamed. 'The Greek myths are real. The gods live and reside on mount Olympus. It is in New York!'

The door flew open and in came Dr. Ocean. Her eyes drifted to Elizabeth who shook her head ever so slightly.

'They have children with mortals. These children have special camps. They're demigods,' she continued, watching Violet.

'Now, Nova, you know that's not true. Are you going to calm down, now? The other residents are trying to sleep,' said Violet approaching the bed.

'Never, you witch.'

'Fine, then you leave me no choice. Come on in, Phoebe.'

The nurse returned. In her hands she held a syringe filled with a liquid. She handed the syringe to the doctor.

'Last chance, Nova.'

'My name is Nyx.' She felt a sharp sting in her arm. 'I am the goddess of night, first of the gods. I will have my vengeance. I will… Nova… I am a god… Pain… Why?' she slurred.

'Sweet dreams, Nova, we'll talk in the morning,' said Violet with a smile.

Before falling asleep, the feeling of warmth spread through her body. Yes, Nova Knight. That's who she was.


End file.
